No. 12 Oregon State Takes On The Nation's Best At The NCAA Women's Rowing Championships
May 19, 2000
SCHEDULE: The Oregon State women's crew races in the NCAA Championships for the third time in four years in Camden, N.J., May 26-28.
BEAVERS IN THE RANKINGS: As of May 17, OSU was 12th in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Poll.
LAST YEAR AT NCAAs: The varsity eight won the third-level final to finish 13th in the nation.
BEST EVER: OSU finished 9th at the 1997 NCAA Championships.
HEAD COACH CHARLIE OWEN ON THE TEAM: "Every year it's more difficult for us to get into the NCAAs. Rowing is getting more competitive throughout the country, so it's exciting for us to that we can still gain a birth in the NCAAs again. It's our third time in four years that we've had a boat at the NCAAs. We'll be taking our first varsity eight. We were one of five Division I schools selected to bring an at-large varsity eight.
"It's tough to say what our expectations are. I know we're a fast boat, and the crews that beat us at the Pac-10 Championships are two of the fastest crews in the country in Washington and California. Washington clearly has a good shot at winning the national championships, and Cal should finish in the top three, and maybe even surprise Washington. It's tough to say, after those two, how close to the other programs we are since we haven't seen any of the other schools in head-to-head competition in a long time. But you know, it's a whole new season for us now, and we need to go and row three or four very good races to see how we can fit in.
"We're excited for our program to be able to have an opportunity to race in the national championship and see where we stack up. We've raced some crews from other parts of the country in San Diego (at the San Diego Crew Classic), but it's real different when it's the national championship.
"I'm really excited about the opportunity for the women on our team to have a chance to race at the National Championships. We've worked really hard all year towards this goal, and it's great to have the opportunity."
OWEN ON THE COURSE: "I haven't been to the course in a long time. I raced on it a long time ago, but it's a really nice course. It's a good course for both the athletes and spectators."
LINEUP FOR NCAAs: OSU will take a varsity eight to the Championships. (B- Bow, S- Stroke, C- Coxswain) B- Amanda Westfall, 2- Annie Godwin, 3- Jenny Johnson, 4- Jaclyn Melcher, 5- Sarah Wachs, 6- Abby Roos, 7- Cassie Bouska, S- Jamie Stephenson, C- Jennelle Johnson.
LAST ACTION: The Beavers rowed to a third-place finish in the Grand Final (places 1-6) at the Pacific-10 Championships on Lake Natoma, near Sacramento, Calif. The varsity eight crossed the line in 6:39.8, behind Washington and California, and the second varsity finished fifth, as did the varsity four. The novice eight had a strong showing, coming in second.
WESTFALL, GODWIN HONORED: Varsity eight rowers Amanda Westfall and Annie Godwin were named to the All-Pacific-10 Conference Team following OSU's third-place performance at the Pac-10 Championships May 14.
Westfall, the team captain, is a senior in her third year in the carsity eight boat. A graduate of South Salem High School, Westfall earned national recognition last year when she was selected as a National Scholar-Athlete by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association. Westfall rows the bow seat.
Godwin, a senior, is a three-year veteran of the varsity eight, and rows the second seat this year. A graduate of Pine Eagle High School in Halfway, Ore., Godwin earned second-team honor roll mention from U.S. Rowing last year, as well as National Scholar-Athlete honors.
BEST TIMES OF THE SPRING: VARSITY EIGHT - 6:33.6 (vs. Texas at Stanford Invitational, Redwood Shores course, 4/30), SECOND VARSITY EIGHT - 6:46.32 (at Washington State, Snake River course, 3/25), VARSITY FOUR `A' - 7:36.5 (vs. Kansas at Stanford Invitational, Redwood Shores course, 4/29) VARSITY FOUR `B' - (vs. Stanford, Lake Vancouver course, 4/15), NOVICE EIGHT - 6:48.2 (vs. Stanford, Lake Vancouver course, 4/15), SECOND NOVICE EIGHT - 7:19.3 (vs. Washington, Lake Vancouver course, 4/22), FRESHMAN FOUR `A' - 7:59.49 (at California, Redwood Shores course, 4/8), FRESHMAN FOUR `B' - 8:02.74 (at California, Redwood Shores course, 4/8), NOVICE FOUR - 6:41.6 (vs. Cal at Stanford Invitational, Redwood Shores course, 4/30) Note: Lowest times are not necessarily representative of best performances, as course conditions are a considerable factor in how the times turn out.
BOUSKA, GODWIN NOMINATED: Annie Godwin, both seniors, have been nominated for the 2000 GTE Academic All-America team. Bouska, from Myrtle Point, Ore., sports a 3.88 GPA in Biology, and is a two-year member of OSU's 11th-ranked varsity eight boat.
Bouska was honored as a National Scholar Athlete by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association and was an All-Academic selection in 1999. Bouska is attending OSU on Presidential and Georgia-Pacific Scholarships. She also volunteers with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.
Godwin, from Halfway, Ore., is a third-year member of the 12th-ranked varsity eight boat. She was a 1999 USRowing honor roll selection, and a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National Scholar Athlete. Godwin volunteers her time to many organizations in the Corvallis community.
COACHING STAFF: Charlie Owen, in his ninth year at Oregon State University, first arrived at OSU in the fall of 1986 as a student-athlete. He has been involved with the program ever since.
Owen rowed in the varsity lightweight men's eight and heavyweight men's eight, before an injury cut his career short. He did however enjoy a successful sculling career with an eventual position on the 1991 Pan American Team.
Owen's coaching career began in the fall of 1991 as the novice women's mentor. He coached the novice team for two years, with his teams placing second on the West Coast each season and all crews earning medals. At the same time he coached a team at the Olympic Sports Festival.
Owen assumed the reigns of head women's coach in 1993, and the team has improved every year. His 1997 varsity team has been the highlight of his coaching tenure, placing second at the Pac-10 Championships and earning an entry into the inaugural NCAA Championships. The women's crew placed seventh overall at the NCAAs. The 1998 team also had a banner year, with a third-place showing at the conference meet.
Owen started rowing at Salisbury School in 1984 and while there competed at the West German Junior National Championships. Owen also competed in England at the Henley Royal Regatta.
Owen is a 1992 graduate of Oregon State with a bachelor's degree in housing studies.
Jane LaRiviere is in her sixth season as the Women's Freshman and Novice Coach at Oregon State University.
LaRiviere has guided the program to some of its most successful seasons in school history, and has made it one of the most competitive on the West Coast. One of the highlights of LaRiviere's coaching career was guiding the 1999 Novice team to a second-place finish in the Women's Varsity four at the Pacific-10 Championships.
As a student at the University of Calgary, LaRiviere rowed for the Calgary Rowing Club. In 1985 her team won the Intermediate Four With at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. LaRiviere began coaching rowing in 1989 while attending the University of Oregon. She went on to coach in Canada at the University of Western Ontario and the London Rowing Club. While in London, Ontario, she assisted with the Women's National Team development camps. During the summer of 1999 LaRiviere volunteered at the Canadian National Team's Pre-World Championship camp.
LaRiviere is a U.S. Rowing Level II certified coach and a Level III certified rowing coach in Canada.
LaRiviere received her bachelor's degree in 1986, her master's degree in 1990, and is presently completing her Ph.D in biomechanics at Oregon State University.
