LAKEWOOD, Wash. – The Lewis & Clark Pioneers opened the 2025 spring season on American Lake at the PLU Invitational. The women's squad faced off against conference rivals Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran and Pacific, while the men's team went up against University of Oregon and Western Washington. Unlike the 2024 regatta which was canceled halfway due to windy conditions, racers saw flat water and an eventual cross tail, making for a great day of racing.

THE BASICS
First flight
8:40 AM, Women's Varsity 8+, 2nd of two, 8:06.2
9:00 AM, Women's Second Varsity 8+, 3rd of three, 9:06.6
9:30 AM, Men's Varsity 8+, 3rd of three, 7:20.3

Second flight
10:30 AM, Women's Varsity 8+, 1st of two, 7:43.0
11:00 AM, Womens Second Varsity 8+, 2nd of two, 8:50.6
11:30 AM, Men's Varsity 4+, 3rd of four, 7:33.6
11:40 AM, Men's Varsity 4+, 2nd of two, 8:39.8
12:10 PM, Women's Novice 4+, 4th of four, 9:55.7

HOW IT HAPPENED
Conditions were ideal for racing on Saturday morning with temperatures warming throughout the morning, overcast skies, and flat water on the course. A cross-tail wind picked up later in the morning, creating choppier waters through the final 500 meters of the course in the second flight of races.

The women's varsity 8+ was the first boat down the course for the Pioneers, facing off against Puget Sound in a duel style race. This is the first time Lewis & Clark has faced the reigning Northwest Conference Champions since the spring of 2024. The Loggers got an early jump on the Pioneers by outstroking them, coming down the course at 35 strokes per minute to the Pioneers' 32. The Pioneers had a well-executed technical row, which head coach Charlotte Copp was pleased with, saying "Our women's varsity kept their focus internal as we have made some big technical gains this spring that we had to apply to racing."

The boat was helmed by Ella Radvany, with freshman Clare Kimmel in stroke seat, Zoe Mitchell in seven, junior captain Sadie Meredith-Andrews in six, Libby Barrese in five, senior captain Mariah Schafhausen in four, freshman-novice Emma Wind in three, Charlie Bastunskiy in two, and Ella Shanava in the bow.

The women's second varsity 8+ was the next race down the course for Lewis & Clark. The Pioneers faced off against Western Washington and Pacific Lutheran in a tough contest that saw Lewis & Clark catch two boat stopping crabs. The Pioneers rallied hard after the first, walking back from open water to contact with the Pacific Lutheran crew before another crab thwarted their momentum. Lewis & Clark raced six novices in the boat, one of whom made her competitive debut after joining in the spring.

The boat was helmed by Morgan Anderson, with freshman-novice stern pair Meredith Lybbert in the stroke seat and Sunny Greenblum in seven, senior Charlotte Gregson in six, Amber Hayes in five, Grace MacDonald in four, Masha Glazneva in three, and freshman-novice bow pair, Ana Cabrera Isaza in two and Alany Padilla Camacho in the bow.

The men's varsity 8+ was the last heat of the morning for Lewis & Clark, coming down the course against Western Washington and University of Oregon. The Pioneers were again underrating the other crews, focusing on a solid technical foundation and capping out at 32 strokes per minute. The boat was feeling excited about a more competitive University of Oregon team, who Lewis & Clark came up against sporadically last year. 

The boat was helmed by Sophie Homolka, with sophomore-captain Lewis Grimes in stroke, Devon Hall in seven, senior-captain Caleb Novotny in six, Paul Kelly in five, Kieran Larrabee in four, Jackson Sheire in three, sophomore-novice Chance Inouye in two, and senior Alex Skiles in the bow.

The second flight of racing saw minor lineup changes across boats for the Pioneers and was again led by the women's varsity 8+ event. Lewis & Clark faced off against Pacific Lutheran in another duel-style race that saw the Pioneers come out on top by one second. The Lutes were quick off the start and stayed up through the first 500 meters, but the Pioneers managed to fight ahead through to the finish line.

The boat made a switch in the bow seat for the second run down the course. It was again helmed by Radvany, with Kimmel in stroke, Mitchell in seven, Meredith-Andrews in six, Barrese in five, Schafhausen in four, Wind in three, Bastunskiy in two, and Gregson in the bow.

The second varsity 8+ event was a duel style race between Pacific Lutheran and Lewis & Clark, with the Pioneers holding contact with the Lutes until the thousand meter mark. Lewis & Clark made it down the course with no crabs the second time around. The boat made a switch in six seat, with Anderson again at the helm, with Lybbert in stroke, Greenblum in seven, Shanava in six, Hayes in five, MacDonald in four, Glazneva in three, Cabrera Isaza in two and Padilla Camacho in the bow.

The men's varsity 4+ race came down the course next; the Pioneer's first four-boat race of the day. Lewis & Clark placed third behind Western Washington and Oregon but held a 25-second lead over Puget Sound. They rowed an aggressive race, chasing contact with the Oregon boat that finished four seconds ahead. "Our men's boats had strong rhythm and set a good standard for the rest of the spring," said Copp, "Our men's 4's were able to showcase some speed and raise the competitive level." The boat was helmed by Homolka, with Grimes in stroke, Kelly in three, Novotny in two, and Hall in the bow.

The men's second varsity four featured two novice rowers for their sprint-racing debut. The group faced off against Western Washington in a two-boat duel, which saw the Vikings pull ahead early on the course. The Pioneers stayed focused and rhythmic, with senior Skiles leading the group from the stern. They took a strong move with 500 meters to go on the course, with verbal encouragement from Sheire in the bow helping the boat to pick up speed in the final stretch. The boat was helmed by Anderson, with Skiles in stroke, Inouye in three, freshman-novice Chaz Waldron in two, and Sheire in the bow.

The last race of the day for the Pioneers was the women's novice 4+ which featured spring novice Kaia Hirsch, who had her first day on the water just two weeks prior. The group finished in fourth in gustier and choppier conditions than earlier racing. They held their composure and rhythm well despite challenges, making it across the line eight seconds behind Oregon. The boat was helmed by freshman Max Baker, with Lybbert in stroke, Greenblum in three, Hirsch in two, and Padilla Camacho in the bow.

"It was a solid day of racing where we laid the groundwork for a more successful season." Copp concluded, "We feel like we learned a lot and are looking ahead to The Small College Regatta at Hagg Lake to take the next steps."

BY THE NUMBERS

• Two of the Pioneers' six spring novices made their competitive debuts, including MacDonald and Hirsch
• Cabrera Isaza, Greenblum, Hayes, Inouye, Lybbert, Padilla Camacho, Waldron, and Wind all made their sprint racing debut

WHAT'S NEXT
The Pioneers head to Forest Grove next weekend for the Small College Regatta on Hagg Lake, hosted by Pacific University.