Keelhaulers Take Second at Rowing Championships

April 28, 2013 - The Cal Maritime men's crew team finished off the spring season in strong fashion at the WIRA (Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association) Championships at Lake Natoma in Sacramento this past weekend, with all three boats racing in the finals, and the men's pair taking home the silver medal in their event. This year marked the first time in over a decade that the Keelhaulers have participated in the WIRA Championships, and they took advantage of that opportunity, fielding a novice four, a lightweight novice four, and a pair. In the first day of heats, the novice four of Heather McFarlain (coxswain), Sebastian Grant, Sean Abbott, Serge Balian, and Erin Bloom took second in their heat (the second of three for the event), outpacing Santa Clara, Sonoma State, Chico State, and Seattle University in advancing to the Sunday finals. The men's pair of Holden Peck and Kellen Parrish took first in their Saturday heat (the first of three for the event), finishing ahead of UC Davis, Sonoma State, Pacific Lutheran, and University of the Pacific en route to the finals.

On Sunday morning, the Keelhaulers took to the finals. The men's lightweight novice four of Kevin Sweeney (coxswain), Jamin Parker, Matt Catchings, Kellen Becker, and Mitch Calder had a solid race against a very fast field and finished fourth behind Washington State University, Orange Coast College, and Loyola Marymount University. The novice four competed next and, again, had a very solid performance, but finished in sixth in their finals. In the last final of the morning for Cal Maritime, the men's pair raced to silver, finishing behind first-place Seattle University, but outrowing UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, Loyola Marymount, and UCLA.

With a very strong performance by all three crews at the championships behind them, the Keelhaulers thank all the families and friends who supported them throughout the year look forward to an even better 2013-2014 campaign.