WOMEN’S ROWING The Gonzaga women’s rowing program added to its two-plus decades of dominance within the West Coast Conference in 2017-18, winning its 17th WCC Championship in 22 years since the conference adopted the sport in 1997. As a result, the Zags advanced to their fourth-straight NCAA Championship and fifth in six years. The Bulldogs finished 18th overall at the NCAA Championships, held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., battling the nation’s best and shifting weather. GU started the season on a high note, beating nationallyranked Washington State in the varsity eight in the Head of the Spokane in the fall. They posted a solid 11th-place finish at the Head of the American on Lake Natoma, home of the WCC Championship, before ending the fall season.
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY / DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
The start of the spring season was highlighted with wins by the varsity eight and second varsity eight at the Hornet Invite on Lake Natoma, and the varsity four beating nationallyranked Oregon State on Dexter Lake in Eugene, Ore. GU returned to the Lake Natoma Invitational where the Zags’
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varsity eight claimed a second-day victory over Alabama, Sacramento State, and San Diego. Over the course of the championship season, GU swept the WCC Crew of the Month awards, with the second varsity eight taking it in March and the top crew winning it in April. The Zags traveled to the WCC Championships as the heavy favorites and delivered by sweeping all three races for the second consecutive season to tie the conference record with 42 points for the second-straight year as well. Senior Isabelle Belzil was named the WCC Rower of the Year and All-WCC, and for the second-straight year, Alexa Jadallah was named the WCC Coxswain of the Year. Freshman Lauren McCallum was the WCC Co-Newcomer of the Year and head coach Glenn Putyrae was named Coach of the Year for the fourth-straight season and ninth time overall. Lauren English, Lindey English, and Megan Seifert joined Belzil on the All-WCC team, all first-time honorees.