The 2010 edition of the Pac-10 Championship saw the top-ranked Washington men's Varsity 8+ win with a controlled race to complete a sweep of the men's events for the Huskies. In a race that played out similar to last year's IRA final, Cal jumped to a quick lead but were reeled in by Washington through the second 500. Washington's base speed was just slightly faster during the majority of the race and pushed their lead to about a length with 500 meters remaining. Coming into the line, Cal threw everything at the Huskies but were unable to close the gap, losing by just a bit of open water.
Conditions on Lake Natoma were good with a varying head wind throughout the morning, nothing like the triple digit temperatures from 2009. The lake wasn't a fast track on Sunday, so the sub 5:50 times by both Washington and Cal indicate that both crews are very quick this year heading to IRA's in three weeks. Stanford was well off the pace in the varsity event, taking the bronze by a length of open water over Oregon State.
On the women's side of things, Cal continued their impressive run this spring in the Varsity 8, holding off a determined Stanford eight to win by one second. The win also clinched the team championship for the Bears, defeating Stanford by one-half of a point.
"The varsity knew the team championship would come down to them, so it was great to see them respond in the final," said Cal coach Dave O'Neill. "They knew if Jill said it was time to go in the last 500, it was coming from a special place."
Some back story on senior coxswain Jill Costello; following NCAA’s last year she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer and has been battling through extensive chemotherapy in the last 11 months. This spring she has predominately coxed in the 2V, with the exception of the Cal/Stanford dual when she went on a religious pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, seeking a miracle cure for her cancer. Jill just graduated last week and this weekend was her first race coxing the 1V.
The rest of the men's racing was dominated by Washington, who won the JV eight and Varsity 4 by a length each, and the Husky Freshmen eight won by a length of open water; all over second place Cal. That leaves each Washington boat undefeated for the spring heading to the IRA.
The women's 2V race provided the only "upset" of the day, with Stanford powering to a win with Washington in second and Cal in third. The Cardinal was seeded third in the event, and were the only non number 1 seed to win. In the women's four, Washington pulled away from the field in the final 750 meters to beat Cal by seven seconds. The Huskies also won the women's novice eight over a surprise silver medalist Stanford. Stanford reversed a couple big defeats to Cal from earlier in the spring to take second place by nearly a length.
From the news of the unusual category
-The two seat for Oregon State men's varsity eight projectile vomited all over his foot stretcher at the 1200 meter mark of the race, though he didn't miss a stroke!
-The Washington frosh still have some work to do on their cox tossing, see photo sequence starting here.
-Several kayakers threatened to interupt the women's varsity eight final before paddling off the course
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05/18/2010 5:56:42 AM