April 27, 2007

SAN DIEGO -

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SDSU Crew Heads to Northern California For WIRA Championships
The well-rested San Diego State rowing team heads back to the water on Lake Natoma near Sacramento, Calif., for the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships this weekend, April 28-29.

The Aztecs' varsity eight race is set to begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. PDT, while the first novice eight race is slated for an 11:10 a.m. start. The varsity four boat will take on five other schools at 12:10 p.m. and will be followed by the junior varisty eight at 1:30 p.m.

Following the heats, the finals are scheduled for Sunday with SDSU's second novice eight slated to race in that event's final at 9 a.m.

A Look Back at the 2006 WIRA Championships
San Diego State won two medals to wrap up an impressive weekend at the 2006 WIRA Championships on Lake Natoma near Sacramento, Calif. The Aztecs raced three boats in grand final competition, highlighted by a first-place finish in the second varsity eight event. SDSU also posted a third-place effort in the varsity four category, while the varsity eight crew came in fifth.

In the second varsity eight final, the Aztecs emerged victorious with a winning a time of 6:35.6 to capture the gold medal. SDSU trailed in the early stages of the 2000-meter race, before making its move at roughly the halfway point. The scarlet and black then shifted into overdrive down the stretch to hold off UC Davis (6:37.8) and Gonzaga (6:40.1) in a close finish.

The Aztecs also collected hardware in the varsity four grand final, earning the bronze medal with a strong third-place showing. San Diego State clocked in at 7:23.9, safely in front of Western Washington (7:27.5), Portland (7:29.3) and UC San Diego (7:30.9). Saint Mary's (7:11.5) and San Diego (7:14.0) took home the gold and silver medals, respectively.

In the final event of the day, the Aztecs' varsity eight boat fell behind early in its race and could not narrow the gap between the leaders, crossing the finish line in fifth place with a time of 6:46.3, slightly ahead of Western Washington (6:47.0). Sacramento State claimed the top spot with a 6:35.9 clocking, followed by Loyola Marymount (6:38.0), Gonzaga (6:41.0) and UC Davis (6:42.8).

Individually, seniors Audrey Edney (Modesto, Calif.) and Korina Tonne (Hemet, Calif.) each received second team all-WIRA honors during an awards ceremony following the regatta. Edney sat in the seven seat for the victorious second varsity eight boat, while Tonne occupied the bow position for the varsity four crew. The Aztecs also placed third overall in the team points standings, behind Sacramento State and LMU.

Last Race With the Aztecs
The San Diego State rowing team dominated the San Diego City Championships back on April 18-19, taking four out of the event's five races against cross-town rivals UC San Diego and the University of San Diego. The race was actually postponed from its original date of April 15 due to high winds on Tecolote Channel at Mission Bay.

The Aztec dominance was evidenced by the novice four race where SDSU finished 1 minute, 22.5 seconds ahead of UCSD and the novice eight race, where SDSU's "A" boat was 21.1 seconds better than the Tritons.

Following the San Diego City Championships, San Diego State was scheduled to compete at the Miller Cup Regatta in Marina del Rey, Calif., but inclement weather on the race course at Ballona Creek forced the cancellation of this year's event.