Beavers start their season off well in British Columbia
March 6, 2005
Oregon State opened up their season with two wins at the Elk Lake Regatta in Victoria, British Columbia. The Beavers defeated the University of Victoria in both the 1st Varsity 8 and Novice 8, and finished a close second in the JV8.
"This was a very strong start to the racing season," said head coach Charlie Owen. "All of our boats raced well, and most importantly, the racing experience has given each boat some specific areas to improve on before we race again in three weeks." The Beavers kick off Pac-10 competition against Washington State on March 26. The Varsity Eight got out to an early lead and kept it, winning the race by open water with a time of 6:19. They beat the University of Victoria, who posted a time of 6:24, and the Canadian National Development Team, who finished in 6:38.
"The Varsity Eight got off to the best start they have had all year," said assistant coach Kushlani de Soyza, "and then they worked hard in the middle thousand to extend their lead and get the win."
The JV Eight boat was very competitive in their race, trailing by only a few feet the whole race and finishing with a time of 7:02.3. They came in just behind the University of Victoria, who finished with a time of 7:01.0. The Beavers defeated UVic's B boat and the crew from Shawnigan.
The Novice Eights also had good showings, with the 1st Novice 8 winning with a time of 6:49.0 and the 2nd Novice 8 finishing 4th in 7:16.7. The 1st 8 jumped out to a early lead and dominated the event, finishing 22 seconds ahead of 2nd place Simon Frasier. The Beaver's 2nd 8 battled with the top boats from Simon Frasier and University of Victoria, finishing just one second behind UVic and open water ahead of University of British Columbia. "They performed very well," said Novice Coach Annie Kakela, "but they also realize that there is still room for improvement. We want to have the best times possible."
The next race for the women's crew is on March 26 vs. Washington State.
V8 - Oregon State 6:19; Victoria 6:24; Canadian National Team Development Boat 6:38
JV8 - Victoria 'A' 7:01.0; Oregon State 7:02.3; Victoria `B' 7:42.5; Shawnigan 7:47.6
N8 - Oregon State `A' 6:49.0; Simon Fraiser 7:11.6; Victoria 7:15.8; Oregon State `B' 7:16.7; British Columbia 7:24.7
