The Gonzaga men’s rowing team advanced to the finals in multiple events after a successful opening day at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships on Apr. 25. The Bulldogs won their heats in both the Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+, while also securing a top-two finish in the Second Varsity 8+, ensuring several boats will compete for titles on Sunday.
Head coach Dan Gehn said, “Great morning of racing, especially the V8 and V4. Tomorrow should be a barn burner.”
The team’s Varsity 8+ led from start to finish in Heat 2, posting a time of 5:55.827 to edge out UCLA and UC Santa Barbara for a place in Sunday’s Grand Final. The Varsity 4+ followed with another first-place performance, clocking in at 7:05.445 ahead of UC Santa Barbara and USC.
In Second Varsity 8+ competition, Gonzaga’s A boat finished second behind San Diego with a time of 6:08.73, advancing comfortably to the Grand Final as well. The B boat took fifth place earlier in the day with a time of 6:29.674.
With strong performances across all races on Saturday, Gonzaga has positioned multiple crews for contention during Sunday’s final rounds at Lake Natoma.
Looking ahead, finals racing is scheduled throughout Sunday morning with four Gonzaga boats competing for championship results.
