Portland Pilots women’s rowing will begin their season at the Sacramento State Invitational on Lake Natoma this Saturday. The event, hosted by the Sacramento State Hornets, will also feature teams from Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara, all members of the West Coast Conference (WCC).
The regatta schedule starts with the varsity four race at 8:30 a.m., followed by the second varsity eight at 8:50 a.m., varsity eight at 9:10 a.m., and third varsity eight at 9:20 a.m.
This year, the Pilots were projected to finish seventh in the WCC. Jo Patton and Rachel Hester were both named to the All-WCC Preseason Team for the first time.
Last season, Portland’s rowing team achieved wins at both the Puget Sound Invite and Portland Invite. All four boats reached grand finals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. At the WCC Championships, their second varsity four advanced to the grand final in a restructured conference championship format, while their second varsity eight won its first-ever petite final.
Lineups for each boat have been announced ahead of Saturday’s races. The varsity four crew includes coxswain Natalie Petty with Phoebe Price, Sam Kronis, Molly Manfred, and Tania Hernandez. The second varsity eight features coxswain Bella Valenzuela along with Averie Zealley, Aneta Seböková, Felicity Bishop, Mina Mihajlovic, Madie Quinton, Nevaeh Rhodes, Isabella Honig, and Massey Willis. Leahbelle Paladino will coxswain the varsity eight with rowers Veronica Conklin, Molly Spraker, Rachel Hester, Claire Banasky, Kylin Gahlmann, Jo Patton, Shelby Hack, and Julia Kiplinger. Emma Hanson leads as coxswain for the third varsity eight with Megan Eckels, Elizabeth Adams, Zoe Del Vecchio, Ava Ripp, Madie Monteith, Addison Burleigh, Savanna Collins, and Gabby Wolfe.
Tickets for upcoming home events can be purchased through PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or via the Portland Pilots App. Information about group packages is available by emailing pilotsboxoffice@up.edu.
Supporters interested in contributing to University of Portland Athletics can make donations online; these gifts are tax deductible and support student-athletes’ participation in intercollegiate athletics.
For updates on University of Portland athletic programs and live coverage during events fans can visit PortlandPilots.com or follow official social media channels.
