April 20, 2008

WAWAWAI LANDING, Wash. - Gonzaga University won its 18th Fawley Cup in 19 seasons as the Bulldog men's rowing squad swept all five races against Washington State University on Saturday afternoon at the 2,000 meter Snake River.

Gonzaga won the Varsity 8+ race to pick up the Fawley Cup against Washington State. The Bulldogs, who had to overcome hitting a buoy at the five-meter mark, defeated the Cougars by nearly eight seconds. GU finished the sloppy and soupy course with a time of 6:00.59, while WSU crossed the finish line in a time of 6:08.90.

"I was really pleased with the outcome," stated head coach Dan Gehn. "After a good week of hard work, this was a great tune-up for the WIRA's.

"The Varsity boat hit a buoy at the 5-meter mark and had to stop for two to three seconds. They never let it affect them though, and raced very composed."

The Junior Varsity 8+ also dealt with the sloppy conditions, having wavy water for the first 1,000 meters and flatting out the final 1,000-meters, to earn a respectable 22 second win over the Cougars. Gonzaga won the race with a time of 6:16.75. Washington State had a finish of 6:38.90.

Gonzaga's top novice boat won the first Novice 8+ race by 28 seconds with GU in at 6:10.80 and WSU crossing at 6:38.20. The Bulldog kept things rolling winning the Second Novice 8+ race with a time of 6:38.50. Gonzaga was followed by the Cougars at 7:11.80.

The Zags closed out the day with its largest margin of victory in the Novice 4+. Gonzaga won with a time of 7:01.41, while Washington State clocked in at 8:00.00.

"Both the Junior Varsity and Novice had solid races," stated Gehn. "The Junior Varsity hasn't had a lot of racing this spring, so I was really impressed by them. I believe they are all ready for the WIRA's."

Gonzaga will have nearly two weeks to prepare for the upcoming championships. The Bulldogs will compete in both the West Coast Conference and WIRA Championships May 3-4. Both races take place at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif.

Fawley Cup - Gonzaga vs. Washington State
(All races 2,000 meters)

Varsity 8+: Gonzaga 6:00.59; Washington State 6:08.90

2nd Varsity 8+: Gonzaga 6:16.75; Washington State 6:38.90

Novice 8+: Gonzaga 6:10.8; Washington State 6:38.2

2nd Novice 8+: Gonzaga 6:38.5; Washington State 7:11.8

Novice 4+: Gonzaga 7:01.41; Washington State 8:00.00