Humboldt State University Athletics

ARCATA — After a week break from competition the Humboldt State women’s rowing team is ready to participate in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships (WIRA), scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on Lake Natoma, near Rancho Cordova, hosted by Sac State.

Regatta Notes
The WIRA has a total of 81 races between the two days, including multiple heats and final races, with 42 women’s races. The regatta features Division I, II, and III, club and open. Saturday’s focus will be on qualifying for the finals, “petite” or consolation final, and a third final for those who didn’t qualify for the others. Sunday will primarily feature races for those who advance from Saturday.

Lumberjacks Notes
A week free from competition has helped the Lumberjacks prepare for the WIRA after a very competitive outing at the NCRC Championship, held April 18. “The team is generally as healthy as one can expect with two weeks of school left,” Humboldt State head women’s rowing coach Robin Meiggs said. “Stress is wearing on everyone, but we have tried much harder to prepare the team for this. Being home last weekend gave us an opportunity to practice for two days we wouldn't normally have had the opportunity to train.” …The Jacks are scheduled to compete in the novice lightweight four, varsity four, varsity eight, second novice eight, lightweight four, novice eight, lightweight eight and junior varsity eight. …Prior to the beginning of the WIRA, coaches vote on team rankings weekly in the novice eight, second novice eight, second varsity eight and varsity eight. As of April 22, Humboldt State took its highest ranking of third in the second novice eight, behind UC Davis and San Diego State. In the three other polls, HSU was ranked 10th in the novice eight, 13th in the second varsity eight and 16th in the varsity eight. …Last year the Jacks took third in the varsity eight and fifth in the second varsity eight and lightweight four races.

Meiggs Mentions
“This is the season-ending regatta for the team. (WIRA) has traditionally been DI/II/III all mixed together. This year’s format has changed as the DII/III boats that rank for the NCAA (Varsity eight and four for DII and Varsity eight and second varsity eight for DIII) will race together, which will make for a better experience for the student-athletes. I realize that other sports row up, but it is not a great feeling to complete your season that way.” … “We have been training for the WIRA as a culminating event for the team, building in volume and speed. Our results over the season actually support that the team is gaining speed and that is in fact what is happening for the majority of the team (with the exception of the women's eight). Of course, after this event, we will retain 16 student-athletes to focus on our last two regattas that happen in a 10-day period.”…“We are hoping to place in the novice lightweight four and lightweight eight and to make the finals in the second novice eight and novice eight. We haven't changed the boat order for the women's four - but we will be racing all other school’s top four student-athletes. I have agreed with Western Washington to race student-athletes 9-12 in order for them to rank against us. We have beaten them the last two times we have raced and they have changed the boat order to try to retain the top rank in the nation. We didn't change the lineup in the four as they have been working well together. We did change the lineup in the 8 and are hoping to find some speed as we head into the final three events with this boat.”

2009 WIRA Preliminary Schedule at Lake Natoma
Saturday, May 2
8 a.m. – Women’s Novice Lwt Four (Heat 1)
8:10 a.m. – Women’s Novice Lwt Four (Heat 2)
8:20 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DII/DIII/Club (Heat 1)
8:30 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DII/DIII/Club (Heat 2)
8:40 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DI/Open (Heat 1)
8:50 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DI/Open (Heat 2)
9:30 a.m. – Women’s Novice Four (Heat 1)
9:40 a.m. – Women’s Novice Four (Heat 2)
9:50 a.m. – Women’s Novice Four (Heat 3)
10:20 a.m. – Women’s JV Eight – DI/Open (Heat 1)
10:30 a.m. – Women’s JV Eight – DI/Open (Heat 2)
10:40 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight –  DII/DIII/Club (Heat 1)
10:50 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight – DII/DIII/Club (Heat 2)
11 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight – DI/Open (Heat 1)
11:10 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight – DI/Open (Heat 2)
12:50 p.m. – Women’s Second Novice Eight (Heat 1)
1 p.m. – Women’s Second Novice Eight (Heat 2)
1:10 p.m. – Women’s Lwt Four (Heat 1)
1:20 p.m. – Women’s Lwt Four (Heat 2)
2:10 p.m. – Women’s Novice Eight (Heat 1)
2:20 p.m. – Women’s Novice Eight (Heat 2)
2:30 p.m. – Women’s Novice Eight (Heat 3)
3:10 p.m. – Women’s Novice Four (Petite)
3:50 p.m. – Women’s Pair (Heat 1)
4 p.m. – Women’s Pair (Heat 2)
4:20 p.m. – Women’s Novice Eight (Third)
4:30 p.m. – Women’s Novice Eight (Petite)
5:10 p.m. – Women’s Pair (Petite)
5:30 p.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DII/DIII/Club (Petite)
5:40 p.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DI/Open (Petite)
5:50 p.m. – Women’s Lwt Eight (Final)

Sunday, May 3
8 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DII/DIII/Open (Final)
8:10 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Four DI/Open (Final)
8:20 a.m. – Women’s Novice Lwt Four (Final)
8:40 a.m. – Women’s Novice Four (Final)
9:10 a.m. – Women’s Pair (Final)
9:20 a.m. – Women’s Second Novice Eight (Final)
9:30 a.m. – Women’s Lwt Four (Final)
10 a.m. – Women’s Novice Eight (Final)
10:20 a.m. – Women’s JV Eight DI/Open (Petite)
10:40 a.m. – Women’s JV Eight DII/DIII/Club (Final)
10:50 a.m. – Women’s JV Eight DI/Open (Final)
11:20 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight DII/DIII/Club (Petite)
11:40 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight DI/Open (Petite)
11:40 a.m. – Women’s Varsity Eight DII/DIII/Club (Final)
Noon – Women’s Varsity Eight DI/Open (Final)