Weekly State Colleges Report: Rookie rower pulls off dream

To this day, John Terwilliger says strangers find his story unbelievable.

A rangy kid from Wyoming and Seattle Pacific making the U.S. Olympic rowing team less than two years after taking up the sport sounds absurd. And that was just the beginning.

"But there are old guard people who believe it, because they saw it, they witnessed it," says Terwilliger. "They know Twig's story."

The latest chapter unfolds Friday when Terwilliger is inducted into the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame, along with Jim Ballard, Tosca Lindberg and Dr. Wes Lingren.

"Some of the things that happened were pretty remarkable," said Terwilliger, 48 and a real estate banker in Chula Vista, Calif. "I was a longshot."

Coming from a one-stoplight town in a landlocked state, his first glimpse of crew came after following his sister to SPU in 1976. He was coaxed into joining the Falcons' fledgling program the following spring.

On a lark, Terwilliger phoned Harry Parker, the coach of Harvard and the U.S. national team. "I had no clue whether I had a chance or not," he recalled.

At his own expense, in 1979 Terwilliger traveled to Boston for a tryout. Parker recognized that the 6-foot-5 junior had the size and raw ability, and Terwilliger made the 1980 U.S. straight four.

Although the Americans boycotted the Moscow games, Terwilliger kept refining his skills. His senior year at Seattle Pacific, he stroked the four which nearly went unbeaten.

"I don't even think we were a varsity program," said Terwilliger. "In fact, I may still have four years of eligibility, who knows?"

By 1984 he earned a seat in the U.S. eight, and came home from Los Angeles with a silver medal. Terwilliger later won gold at the Goodwill Games and bronze at the world championship before rowing his last international regatta at the Seoul Summer Games in 1988.

Other SPU sports

Women's basketball: Brittney Kroon (Wasilla, Alaska), a 6-foot-4 senior, has blocked 26 shots (6.5 avg.) in the last four games.

Men's basketball: Robbie Will (O'Dea), a 6-10 sophomore center, is coming off career highs of 11 rebounds and six blocks in Saturday's loss at Western Washington. A four-game homestand begins Thursday for the No. 7 Falcons (14-2).

Gymnastics: Coming off a record opening-night score, SPU joins Arizona State at Washington on Friday, the first of three consecutive road meets.

Track and field: Teona Perkins (Kennewick) leads the GNAC and is seventh among NCAA II indoor 800 qualifiers.

Seattle U.

Swimming: Seattle U. had a combined 68 season-best times in its two swim meets at Connolly Center last weekend.

Men's basketball: Bernard Seals (Sacramento, Calif.) ranks in the top 50 in NCAA II in scoring and steals. He is No. 8 in free-throw percentage.

Women's basketball: Seattle U.'s defense is allowing just 53.3 points per game, which ranks No. 11 in NCAA II.

Washington

Gymnastics: Freshman Ashley Houghting (Welland, Ontario) ranks sixth nationally on the vault (9.875 average). She has won the event twice, finished second once, and has not scored below 9.85.

Men's tennis: The No. 16 Huskies (2-0) host Portland on Saturday at 1 p.m. Washington is 45-0 all-time against the Pilots.

Track and field: The 5,000 meters and distance medley Friday highlight the UW Indoor Invitational that ends Saturday at Dempsey Indoor. Oregon's Galen Rupp runs in the 5,000.

Washington State

Women's soccer: Erin Otagaki , a former Huskies player and volunteer coach, was hired as an assistant for WSU after a two-year stint at Purdue.

Track and field: WSU hosts Utah State, Idaho and USC's women Friday and Saturday at the Cougar Indoor Meet.

Volleyball: Freshman libero Jalen Pendon (Spanaway Lake) was the team MVP.

Western Washington

Men's basketball: Senior forward Grant Dykstra (Lynden Christian) makes his 100th career start in a row Thursday at Western Oregon.

Women's basketball: A win at Seattle U. on Thursday would give the No. 9 Vikings (15-1) their 20th streak of 10 or more wins in school history.

Other colleges

Gonzaga: Adam Morrison , the leading scorer in NCAA men's basketball scorer at 27.6 points per game, has three 40-point contests and 30 or more in four of his last five games.

Northwest: The men's basketball team leads the Cascade Collegiate Conference in three-point percentage (.388). Chris Keller (Jackson of Mill Creek) is shooting a team-best .441.

Pacific Lutheran: Kelly Turner (Sherwood, Ore.) and Mallory Mann (Conway, Ark.) set women's basketball records Friday in an overtime road win over George Fox. Turner had eight threes, and Mann 16 assists.PLU tied a school mark with their 12th win in a row.

Puget Sound: The Loggers women's basketball team is ranked second in NCAA III three-point field-goal percentage at 46.4.

Saint Martin's: Senior point guard Beth Layton (Toledo) had a season-high 33 points in a win at Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, and two days earlier, had 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals against Alaska Anchorage. The GNAC Player of the Week in women's basketball made a game-winning free throw with one second left Thursday.

Whitman: Sophomore Erin Pettersen (Lakeside of Lakeside) was named Northwest Conference women's swimmer of the week after winning the 100-yard butterfly and two relays.

Sports information directors

contributed to this notebook.