Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Earn Six First Place Finishes at Hornet Invitational
Mar 21, 2023 | Rowing
Wildcats competed in the Sunshine State Invitational next on March 31
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State women's rowing team had a successful weekend at the Hornet Invitational, winning six races on Saturday (March 18) competing on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif. Teams racing included Sacramento State, Saint Mary's and Humboldt State.
K-State went into competition coming off their spring training camp in Folsom, Calif. Excessive rain and flooding in the area impacted training throughout the week, limiting water time and nearly cancelling the race.
"Our team did a great job of adjusting to changes throughout the week and navigating the unknown. Especially for such a young group, they didn't let anything phase them as we continued to push forward," head coach Pat Sweeney said. "We want to say thank you to U.C. Davis for assisting us as we navigated the situation in California. We appreciate the opportunity to use their facilities and they really made it possible for us to get some training done as we headed into racing."
The team did not allow the difficult circumstances to break focus as they prepared for the weekend.
"Not being able to get on the water in the beginning of the week because of the rain definitely was a challenge," sophomore Gracyn McClain said. "Other crews have that advantage over us, but as an entire team we know how to work hard, and this was just another thing to work hard through."
Once racing was confirmed, Saturday was divided into a morning and an afternoon session, with the Wildcats competing in eight races total. K-State secured wins in six races, with the 2v8+ and 1v4+ boats winning both the morning and afternoon races. The 1v8+ won their second race of the day against Saint Mary's and the N8+ won their first race of the day competing against Sac State. K-State boats also finished second in three races and collected one third-place finish.
"Given the fact that we had been on the water for only two or three days prior to racing, having two races today allowed us to see our baseline for the first race and then make adjustments for the second," sophomore Rachel Harman said.
The 2v8+, consisting of junior coxswain Lauren Plum, sophomore Grace Hendrickson, junior Kaylee Kleinschmit, sophomore Anna Ryan, junior Patricia Hokanson, freshmen Sylvia Cunningham and Grace Hall, sophomore Jayden Brandt and freshman Kay Pakkebier, started their day with a win against Sac State, finishing in 6:38.7.
"We were all very excited after the race because without a lot of water time at spring camp, we weren't sure how it would go," Ryan said. "During the race against Sacramento State, we had a rough start, but once we passed the 1000-meter mark, we held very consistent power and walked through their boat quickly."
The 2v8+ went on to win their second race of the day with a time of 6:52.9.
"Against Saint Mary's we tried to build on the morning's race but focus on a few specific things, and we were successful. I'm extremely excited for the rest of the season because the boat is really young and we have so much potential," Ryan said.
The 1v4+, consisting of senior coxswain Kaitlyn Henke, sophomore Neva Roenne, junior Jadyn Greisen, and sophomores Emily Stark and Halle Fee, also won both races with times of 7:28.5 and 7:17.4.
"We really focused during those few times we were able to be on the water before the races to make sure we got the most out of them. Overall, relying on our physical ability and endurance allowed us to make up for the little water time we had going in," McClain said.
The N8+, consisting of freshmen, Kennedy Loyd and Makenzie Storm, Tatum Alexander, Zoey Whorton, Emma Johnson, Ava Werner and Ellie Erwin, junior McKenna Johnson and freshman Kyla Traub, won their first race with a time of 6:57.8. The crew then competed in the 2v8+ race during the afternoon as K-State "B", where they finished third in 7:01.6.
The 1v8+, consisting of sophomores coxswain Paige Fox, Gracyn McClain, Jordan Girkin, Rachel Harman, Madison Koller and Madelyn Barrett, senior Madison Jensen, sophomore Symone Simmons and junior Idallis Shaffer, came in second during the morning session with a time of 6:35.5.
"It was great to see our consistent power in the first race. We really wanted to be more aggressive in the second race and attack the power," Harman said. "It all came together in the second race halfway through when we made a power push at the 1000m mark and started to walk through the other boat."
The 1v8+ won their second race of the day against Saint Mary's, with a final time of 6:34.9.
The 2v4+ boat, consisting of freshman coxswain Kiersten Schmalz, junior Lindsey DeVreugd, sophomores Kendra Hamman and Catie Wood and junior Alyssa Buettner, competed as the K-State "B" boat in races alongside the 1v4+. The 2v4+ beat the 1v4+ from both Sac State and Saint Mary's, finishing second only behind K-State "A." The crew clocked a time of 7:39.0 in the AM and 7:29.8 in the PM races.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing how much we can improve and get faster. We set a solid baseline this weekend and I'm excited to see how much we really can do," McClain said.
The Wildcats will compete next in the Sunshine State Invitational in Sarasota, Fla. on Friday (March 31) and Saturday (April 1).
"We also want to say thank you to Sac State and Mike Connors for hosting this race. It was a great weekend to compete, and our athletes handled everything well. We're looking forward to the rest of the season and continuing to improve week to week," Sweeney said.
Hornet Invitational
Lake Natoma
Sacramento, Calif.
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+)
1. K-State; 6:38.7, 2. Sac State; 6:41.8
First Varsity 8+ (1v8+)
1. Sac State; 6:29.0, 2. K-State; 6:35.5
Novice 8+ (N8+)
1. K-State; 6:57.8, 2. Sac State; 7:08.8
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:28.5, 2. K-State "B"; 7:39.0, 3. Sac State; 7:51.5
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:28.5, 2. K-State "B"; 7:39.0, 3. Sac State; 7:51.5
First Varsity 8+ (1v8+)
1. K-State; 6:34.9, 2. Sac State; 6:41.9
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+)
1. K-State "A"; 6:52.9, 2. St. Mary's; 7:00.9, 3. K-State "B"; 7:01.6
Third Varsity 8+ (3v8+)
1. K-State "A"; 6:52.9, 2. St. Mary's; 7:00.9, 3. K-State "B"; 7:01.6
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:17.4, 2. K-State "B"; 7:29.8, 3. St. Mary's; 8:24.4
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:17.4, 2. K-State "B"; 7:29.8, 3. St. Mary's; 8:24.4
K-State lineups:
1v8+ lineup:
Cox: Paige Fox Stroke: Gracyn McClain, 7. Jordan Girkin, 6. Rachel Harman, 5. Madison Koller, 4. Madelyn Barrett, 3. Madison Jensen, 2. Symone Simmons, Bow: Idallis Shafer
2v8+ lineup:
Cox: Lauren Plum, Stroke: Grace Hendrickson, 7. Kaylee Kleinschmidt, 6. Anna Ryan, 5. Patricia Hokanson, 4. Sylvia Cunningham, 3. Grace Hall, 2. Jayden Brandt, Bow: Kay Pakkebier
N8+/3v8+ lineup:
Cox: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Makenzie Storm, 7. Tatum Alexander, 6. Zoey Whorton, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Ava Werner, 3. Ellie Erwin, 2. McKenna Johnson, Bow: Kyla Traub
1v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kaitlyn Henke, Stroke: Neva Roenne, 3. Jadyn Greisen, 2. Emily Stark, Bow: Halle Fee
2v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kiersten Schmalz, Stroke: Lindsey DeVreugd, 3. Kendra Hamman, 2. Catie Wood, Bow: Alyssa Buettner
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Rowing Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
K-State went into competition coming off their spring training camp in Folsom, Calif. Excessive rain and flooding in the area impacted training throughout the week, limiting water time and nearly cancelling the race.
"Our team did a great job of adjusting to changes throughout the week and navigating the unknown. Especially for such a young group, they didn't let anything phase them as we continued to push forward," head coach Pat Sweeney said. "We want to say thank you to U.C. Davis for assisting us as we navigated the situation in California. We appreciate the opportunity to use their facilities and they really made it possible for us to get some training done as we headed into racing."
The team did not allow the difficult circumstances to break focus as they prepared for the weekend.
"Not being able to get on the water in the beginning of the week because of the rain definitely was a challenge," sophomore Gracyn McClain said. "Other crews have that advantage over us, but as an entire team we know how to work hard, and this was just another thing to work hard through."
Once racing was confirmed, Saturday was divided into a morning and an afternoon session, with the Wildcats competing in eight races total. K-State secured wins in six races, with the 2v8+ and 1v4+ boats winning both the morning and afternoon races. The 1v8+ won their second race of the day against Saint Mary's and the N8+ won their first race of the day competing against Sac State. K-State boats also finished second in three races and collected one third-place finish.
"Given the fact that we had been on the water for only two or three days prior to racing, having two races today allowed us to see our baseline for the first race and then make adjustments for the second," sophomore Rachel Harman said.
The 2v8+, consisting of junior coxswain Lauren Plum, sophomore Grace Hendrickson, junior Kaylee Kleinschmit, sophomore Anna Ryan, junior Patricia Hokanson, freshmen Sylvia Cunningham and Grace Hall, sophomore Jayden Brandt and freshman Kay Pakkebier, started their day with a win against Sac State, finishing in 6:38.7.
"We were all very excited after the race because without a lot of water time at spring camp, we weren't sure how it would go," Ryan said. "During the race against Sacramento State, we had a rough start, but once we passed the 1000-meter mark, we held very consistent power and walked through their boat quickly."
The 2v8+ went on to win their second race of the day with a time of 6:52.9.
"Against Saint Mary's we tried to build on the morning's race but focus on a few specific things, and we were successful. I'm extremely excited for the rest of the season because the boat is really young and we have so much potential," Ryan said.
The 1v4+, consisting of senior coxswain Kaitlyn Henke, sophomore Neva Roenne, junior Jadyn Greisen, and sophomores Emily Stark and Halle Fee, also won both races with times of 7:28.5 and 7:17.4.
"We really focused during those few times we were able to be on the water before the races to make sure we got the most out of them. Overall, relying on our physical ability and endurance allowed us to make up for the little water time we had going in," McClain said.
The N8+, consisting of freshmen, Kennedy Loyd and Makenzie Storm, Tatum Alexander, Zoey Whorton, Emma Johnson, Ava Werner and Ellie Erwin, junior McKenna Johnson and freshman Kyla Traub, won their first race with a time of 6:57.8. The crew then competed in the 2v8+ race during the afternoon as K-State "B", where they finished third in 7:01.6.
The 1v8+, consisting of sophomores coxswain Paige Fox, Gracyn McClain, Jordan Girkin, Rachel Harman, Madison Koller and Madelyn Barrett, senior Madison Jensen, sophomore Symone Simmons and junior Idallis Shaffer, came in second during the morning session with a time of 6:35.5.
"It was great to see our consistent power in the first race. We really wanted to be more aggressive in the second race and attack the power," Harman said. "It all came together in the second race halfway through when we made a power push at the 1000m mark and started to walk through the other boat."
The 1v8+ won their second race of the day against Saint Mary's, with a final time of 6:34.9.
The 2v4+ boat, consisting of freshman coxswain Kiersten Schmalz, junior Lindsey DeVreugd, sophomores Kendra Hamman and Catie Wood and junior Alyssa Buettner, competed as the K-State "B" boat in races alongside the 1v4+. The 2v4+ beat the 1v4+ from both Sac State and Saint Mary's, finishing second only behind K-State "A." The crew clocked a time of 7:39.0 in the AM and 7:29.8 in the PM races.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing how much we can improve and get faster. We set a solid baseline this weekend and I'm excited to see how much we really can do," McClain said.
The Wildcats will compete next in the Sunshine State Invitational in Sarasota, Fla. on Friday (March 31) and Saturday (April 1).
"We also want to say thank you to Sac State and Mike Connors for hosting this race. It was a great weekend to compete, and our athletes handled everything well. We're looking forward to the rest of the season and continuing to improve week to week," Sweeney said.
Hornet Invitational
Lake Natoma
Sacramento, Calif.
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+)
1. K-State; 6:38.7, 2. Sac State; 6:41.8
First Varsity 8+ (1v8+)
1. Sac State; 6:29.0, 2. K-State; 6:35.5
Novice 8+ (N8+)
1. K-State; 6:57.8, 2. Sac State; 7:08.8
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:28.5, 2. K-State "B"; 7:39.0, 3. Sac State; 7:51.5
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:28.5, 2. K-State "B"; 7:39.0, 3. Sac State; 7:51.5
First Varsity 8+ (1v8+)
1. K-State; 6:34.9, 2. Sac State; 6:41.9
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+)
1. K-State "A"; 6:52.9, 2. St. Mary's; 7:00.9, 3. K-State "B"; 7:01.6
Third Varsity 8+ (3v8+)
1. K-State "A"; 6:52.9, 2. St. Mary's; 7:00.9, 3. K-State "B"; 7:01.6
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:17.4, 2. K-State "B"; 7:29.8, 3. St. Mary's; 8:24.4
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+)
1. K-State "A"; 7:17.4, 2. K-State "B"; 7:29.8, 3. St. Mary's; 8:24.4
K-State lineups:
1v8+ lineup:
Cox: Paige Fox Stroke: Gracyn McClain, 7. Jordan Girkin, 6. Rachel Harman, 5. Madison Koller, 4. Madelyn Barrett, 3. Madison Jensen, 2. Symone Simmons, Bow: Idallis Shafer
2v8+ lineup:
Cox: Lauren Plum, Stroke: Grace Hendrickson, 7. Kaylee Kleinschmidt, 6. Anna Ryan, 5. Patricia Hokanson, 4. Sylvia Cunningham, 3. Grace Hall, 2. Jayden Brandt, Bow: Kay Pakkebier
N8+/3v8+ lineup:
Cox: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Makenzie Storm, 7. Tatum Alexander, 6. Zoey Whorton, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Ava Werner, 3. Ellie Erwin, 2. McKenna Johnson, Bow: Kyla Traub
1v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kaitlyn Henke, Stroke: Neva Roenne, 3. Jadyn Greisen, 2. Emily Stark, Bow: Halle Fee
2v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kiersten Schmalz, Stroke: Lindsey DeVreugd, 3. Kendra Hamman, 2. Catie Wood, Bow: Alyssa Buettner
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Rowing Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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