Anchorage Daily News

Western Washington University won its fourth straight national team title at the seventh annual NCAA Division II National Women's Rowing Championships on Sunday.

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Julia Munger

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Casey Mapes

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Audrey Coon

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It may say Washington on the team's uniforms but it was four Alaskans who helped the Vikings pull away from the competition at the Sacramento Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, Calif.

The Alaska crew helped Western lead from start to finish in winning both the four-oared and eight-oared grand finals, each for the fourth straight year, to claim the national crown.

"Maybe we're just a little bit tougher," said Anchorage's Casey Mapes via cell phone from Washington of the disproportionate number of Alaskans on the team. "It makes me wonder if there's something in the Alaska water."

Mapes and Julia Munger of Palmer helped power the Viking four to an almost three-boat-length victory over UC San Diego on the 2,000-meter course.

The Western shell crossed with a winning time of 7 minutes, 57.54 seconds, more than 13 seconds faster than the closest competition.

"The last couple weeks, we just got a whole lot stronger," Mapes said via cell phone from Washington. "This weekend we felt really solid. We just did our race plan, got to the 1,000-meter mark and kept pulling away to the end."

Western's eight, which featured Kenai's Audrey Coon, also won by almost three boat lengths, finishing in 6:53.20. They were followed again by UC San Diego in 7:06.68.

"They executed the race plan which was to have a good start and then just execute stroke after stroke, try and take a little bit more, and keep pushing and pushing," said Western coach John Fuchs in a unversity press release. "They didn't let up and pushed all the way down the course."

Heather Kelly of Bird Creek was an alternate for the Vikings but did not race.

The Alaskans are part of a rowing dynasty that resides in Bellingham, Wash.

Western finished with a perfect score of 20 points to 15 for UC San Diego, which was the runner-up for the second straight year. The Vikings were ranked No. 1 in the US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA D-II Poll all season long, receiving every first-place vote.

"This is the fastest," Fuchs said of his eight. "I think both of them (eight and four) are actually the fastest. With the depth we had I think this is the best squad we've had."

Western's eight finished with eight wins in 11 races this season, its only losses being against Division I competition. The Vikings, who already had won the unofficial NCAA D-II West Regional and Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference titles, have not lost to a NCAA D-II school in either eight or four competition since 2005.

It was Coon's second national title. But for Munger, Kelly and Mapes, the feeling was brand new.

"It's awesome and exciting," said Mapes, a 2007 Service graduate. "I was just hoping to be an alternate, so it's great to be here."

Mapes, an avid runner and soccer player, had never rowed prior to arriving in Bellingham.

All she knew about rowing came from her mom Laurie, who was a four-year rower and national champion at Washington in the late '70s.

The younger Mapes was intrigued by a recruiting e-mail that said 90 percent of the girls that start out on the team have also never rowed before.

"I just thought that was really cool," she said. "I had kayaked a couple times, but that was about it. I wanted to go in and try something new."

And now she and three other Alaskans who tried something new can say they are national champions.

Contact Barry Piser at 257-4335.

2008 NCAA Division II Women's Rowing National Championships

Rancho Cordova, Calif.

Sunday's Results

Grand Final -- Eights: 1.) Western Washington, 6 minutes, 53.20 seconds; 2.) UC San Diego, 7:06.68; 3.) Dowling, 7:10.19; 4.) Philadelphia, 7:21.24.

Grand Final -- Fours: 1.) Western Washington, 7:57.54; 2.) UC San Diego, 8:10.95; 3.) Nova Southeastern, 8:25.10.

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