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Pacific Lutheran University Crew

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This article features terminology unique to rowing. For further information see main article Glossary of Rowing Terms

PLU Crew is the varsity rowing program for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.[1] The team was founded in 1964 as a joint program with University of Puget Sound. Today the team consists of Men's and Women's programs for both Varsity and Novice rowers, and competes as a member of the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference (NCRC) and Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA).

Modern Team Oar Design

History

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Following the demise of the PLU-UPS rowing club, Pacific Lutheran rowers formed the Lute Varsity Rowing Club in 1965.

PLU Crew first received national notoriety in 1967, when University of Washington requested the return of their old shell the "Husky Clipper," which the Huskies had used to win at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In exchange, UW arranged for Green Lake Crew to donate a shell, the "Loyal Shoudy" to the PLU team. Faced with no means of transporting the boat from north Seattle to PLU's home course in south Tacoma, team Commodore/Captain Jim Ojala devised a plan for the team to row the shell from Lake Union, through the Ballard Locks and down Puget Sound to the Tacoma Narrows. After several months of endurance training, contacting the Navy and Coast Guard, and obtaining a parade permit to walk the shell through North Seattle from Green Lake to Lake Union, the ten team members prepared to embark on their journey. The stunt resulted in the team receiving coverage of the event from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, as well as national rowing magazine Rowing News.[2][3]

The team received a major setback after its boathouse burnt to the ground in Spring 1975.[4]

In 1998 the team moved up the lake to its new boathouse, located at Harry Todd Park in Tillicum. The team shares the boathouse with UPS and Commencement Bay Rowing Club (CBRC), a Masters and Juniors program.

The team's last red cedar shell, the Marjory Anderson, was refurbished in 2004, and was located for display in the new college bookstore beginning in July 2007.

Meyer Cup (Men) and Lamberth Cup (Women)

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April 13, 2013, marked the fiftieth annual Meyer-Lamberth Cup. The regatta between PLU and cross-town rivals University of Puget Sound Rowing is the oldest annual dual regatta on the west coast of the United States.

Meyer Cup Results (men's varsity eight)

  • PLU: 29 wins
  • UPS: 27 wins

Lamberth Cup Results (women's varsity eight)

  • PLU: 27 wins
  • UPS: 16 wins

Lightweight Program

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PLU's lightweight rowing program have achieved some successes in recent years. In 2002, the Men's Lwt 4+ traveled to the annual Dad Vails Regatta in Philadelphia, winning their event, and consequently a small college championship.[5] Though the Men's team has not returned to Dad Vails since 2002, they have since won the NCRC title in 2005[6] and 2007.[7]

Not to be outdone, the Women's Lwt4+ won the 2004 WIRA Championships at Lake Natoma, California. They followed up their win with second-place finishes in the event in 2005 and 2006.

Head coaches

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  • Paul Meyer+ 1964-1965
  • J.R. Goerke+ 1965-1966
  • Jim Ojala 1966-1969
  • Norm Purvis 1969-1970
  • Ralph Neils 1971-1972
  • ?? 1972-1973
  • ?? 1973-1974
  • Dave Peterson 1974-1985
  • Bob Trondsen(M)/Elise Lindborg(W) 1986
  • Jeff Glenn(M)/Elise Lindborg(W) 1987
  • Doug Herland 1988-1991
  • Doug Nelson 1991-2000
  • Sarah Halstead 2001-2002
  • Tone Lawver 2002-2011
  • Thomas Schlenker 2012-2014 ++
  • Tara Brunsfield(M)2014-2015 ++
  • Lori Cark(M)2015-2016
  • Dave Harvey(M)2016-2021 ++
  • Andy Foltz(W) 2015-2022 ++
  • Lizzie(W) 2022-2023 ++
  • Sienna Mathes(W) Interim 2023-2024

++ denotes a non-PLU graduate

All-Americans

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  • 1993
  • Brian Erstguard '93
  • 2004
  • Lauren Rutledge '04
  • 2005
  • Katie Schlepp '06,
  • 2006
  • Katie Schlepp '06
  • Erin Wolf '06
  • 2007
  • Amber Iverson '09
  • 2008
  • Kat Jenkins '09
  • 2009
  • Kat Jenkins '09
  • 2010
  • n/a
  • 2011
  • Abby Smith '12
  • 2016
  • Hannah Peterson '19
  • 2017
  • Hannah Peterson '19
  • 2018
  • Hannah Peterson '19
  • 2019
  • Hannah Peterson '19
  • Madeline Woods '20

National team members

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Current Fleet

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  • Spirit of Olallia 8+ WV8 Pocock
  • Beauty and the Beast: 2- -vespoli
  • Lorraine: 2- -vespoli
  • Grødprinsess Anne (aka "The Frog"): Novice 4+ vespoli ultralight series
  • Scott Laio: Men's Lt4+ Pocock K series
  • Paul Hoseth (aka "Våt Drøm"): Men's 8+ Vespoli Mill. series
  • Doug "Herly" Herland: Women's Novice 8+ Pocock K series
  • Kristin Shay Paulson: Women's 4+ Vespoli Mill. series
  • Stille-Intensitet: Women's 8+ Pocock K series
  • TNT: Women's Lt4+ (Prototype for the Pocock K4+ series of racing shells)
  • Urokkelig Makt: Women's 8+ Pocock K series
  • Valborg: Novice 8+ Pocock K series
  • Valkyrie: Men's 4+ Pocock K series
  • Idunn: Men's 8+ Pocock K series
  • The Spirit of '02: Women's 8+ Pocock

Former Fleet

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  • Gracias San Pedro: 4+ (Prototype Pocock Shell with golf-ball style dimples. Never went into production.)
  • Husky Clipper: 8+
  • Lagprestajon: 8+
  • Loyal Shoudy: 8+
  • Marjory Anderson: 4+
  • Parodi: 8+
  • Return of the Sleipner: 8+
  • Sleipner: 8+

References

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  1. ^ PLU Athletics
  2. ^ PLU Crew in the Sixties
  3. ^ "Way Enough!" Recollections on a Life of Rowing by Stan Pocock, ISBN 978-0-615-11206-0
  4. ^ History After the Boathouse Fire
  5. ^ 2002 Dad Vail Results Archived 2003-04-23 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ NCRC 2005 Results
  7. ^ NCRC 2007 Results
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