Huskies win NCAA crew titles

INDIANAPOLIS — To Jenni Vesnaver, this was the one chance.

After wondering about rival Brown University throughout the season, Washington women's crew finally met its rival at the NCAA championships.

"Every race we race on the West Coast, we want to send a message to them, and then at nationals, it's time to show them," said Vesnaver, a senior on the Huskies' junior-varsity eight. That's how we treat the whole season.

"In the back of our minds, every single race, they're racing right next to us even when they're not there."

Brown was there yesterday in the finals at Eagle Creek Park, and Vesnaver and her teammates were able to handle the only other NCAA team champion in two of the three events.

The defending Huskies won the varsity eight and junior-varsity eight national crowns — finishing unbeaten seasons in rowing's glamour events — but stumbled to 10th in the varsity four.

Brown won the varsity four and finished second to UW in both eights for a 67-63 victory in the team standings.

Washington Coach Jan Harville didn't mind. "I'm extremely happy," said Harville, whose team won national titles in 1997, '98 and '01. "I think our four is very disappointed that they couldn't do better to contribute to the team championship, but I like walking away winning the two premier events.

"I give all the credit to Brown for the strength of their team, but I probably wouldn't trade positions with them. They may go home with the trophy, but I'm not going to trade two wins for that."

It's the first time the NCAA champion hasn't won the varsity eight.

Washington's varsity eight rowed the 2,000-meter course in 6 minutes, 36.41 seconds, winning by . 3.46 seconds.

The Huskies' junior-varsity eight completed the course in 6:46.39, 1.79 seconds ahead of Brown.

Brown and Washington each have three national titles in the six years women's crew has been an NCAA sport.

"Brown is always there, and you just don't know if you're good enough," said senior Anna Mickleson, a member of Washington's varsity eight. "You just race against yourself, and pray that by the end, you're up.

"You get one shot, and you hope you have the best at the end. We did, and I'm so happy."

In the varsity eight final, Washington and Brown were side by side in Lanes 3 and 4. Washington surged ahead early and answered every time Brown attempted to make up ground.

"When Brown started to move, we didn't freak out. I got angry and everybody else got angry. It was like, 'They're not going to take a seat on us,' " senior coxswain Mary Whipple said.

In the eight final, Brown took a three-seat lead, but the Huskies made a move at 1,250 meters.

"I believed in all eight of my rowers, and I knew they had 750 meters of sprint in them," junior coxswain Anne Hessburg said. "I decided we had to go then."

The Huskies' chances for a team title took a blow in the first race of the day. In the varsity four petite final, which determines places seven through 12, Washington finished fourth, putting the boat 10th overall for just three points to Brown's 12.

The nine-point deficit was more than the Huskies could make up in the two eight finals.