By Scott Schultz
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA women’s crew team overcame a strong headwind on
Lake Natomas to blow past most of the competition at the Pacific
Coast Visitor’s Cup in Sacramento on Saturday.
On Saturday, the lightweight eight team won the silver medal,
narrowly losing to Humboldt State, and the novice team came in
first in its division, edging out UC San Diego.
“It was glorious crossing the finish line knowing
we’re among the best in the west,” senior Delia Lucas
said. “With the strong headwind, the race seemed a lot longer
than it actually was.”
This was the final visit for the Bruins to the PCVC as a club
team. Next season, the Bruins will be a varsity team.
Head Coach Guillermo Lemus was thrilled with the improvement the
team showed at this year’s regatta.
“They’ve achieved so much in one year. We went from
no medals last year to sixteen medals this year. That’s
progress,” he said.
On Sunday at the Pac-10 championships, on the same lake, the
Bruins got a preview of what it will be like to compete in the
Pac-10 next year.
Washington won the regatta, followed by USC and Cal. As one of
the few club teams in a competition loaded with sponsored teams,
UCLA did not get past the opening heat.
Despite the anti-climactic finish to their weekend, the Bruins
were pleased with their overall performance.
“These girls worked so hard this season, and I am so proud
of each and everyone of them,” Nell Shuttleworth team captain
said.
The lightweight eight team has one more regatta this season. The
team will compete at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Nationals in Cherry Hill, N.J., on May 31-June 2.