Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, April 29
Kansas City, Kan.
Kansas State University
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Sunflower Showdown
Wildcats Rowing Win First Sunflower Showdown Since 2019
Apr 30, 2023 | Rowing
K-State competes next in the Big 12 Championships May 14 in Austin, Texas
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State women's rowing team won the Kansas Cup on Saturday (April 29) competing in the Sunflower Showdown on Wyandotte County Lake in Kansas City, Kan.
"We're really proud of the way the team raced. We know our athletes are fit and strong, and the races today showed that," head coach Patrick Sweeney said. "They're learning how to race hard. The first eight did a good job of attacking their race aggressively and staying on it against KU. The second eight controlled their entire race and the third eight, being made up of all first-year rowers, did well showing they had the maturity to stay confident and row all the way through their race."
"The fours didn't click as well as we had hoped, but they fought the entire time. The team overall has done a good job and they have continued to come on as the season has progressed."
Last winning the Sunflower Showdown back-to-back during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Wildcats won the 1v8+, 2v8+ and 3v8+ races on Saturday for 17 total points over Kansas, who won two races for five points.
"It was a beautiful morning for rowing with a fantastic K-State fan base to cheer us on," freshman Kyla Traub said. "We are so grateful to everyone who showed up to support us."
The 1v8+ raced first and set the tone for the day, winning their race by a margin of almost 8 seconds at 6:45.7.
"After the start, at about the 250-meter mark, Paige [Fox] told us we were three seats down on KU and a couple seats up on Creighton," sophomore Anna Ryan said. "I remember thinking we had a lot of time to make those seats up. Next thing I knew, we were at the 500-meter mark and we were three seats up on KU. After the 500, we kept pushing up and gained open water. Once we walked through them, we knew we had to keep the seats we had gained."
The boat consisted of sophomore coxswain Paige Fox, sophomores Rachel Harman, Jordan Girkin, Anna Ryan, Madison Koller, junior Patricia Hokanson, senior Madison Jensen, freshman Bianca Wollmeister and junior Idallis Shaffer.
"It was amazing to feel the power and connection in our boat with every stroke. Paige [Fox] was aggressive and intentional with her calls and we responded well every time we needed to push," Ryan said. "After we finished, all of us knew we gave everything we had, and we were so proud of ourselves."
The 2v8+ dominated their race, coming away with another win at 6:52.3, more than 5 seconds ahead of second place Kansas. The lineup consisted of coxswain Lauren Plum, sophomore Grace Hendrickson, freshman Kay Pakkebier, sophomores Gracyn McClain, Symone Simmons, freshman Sylvia Cunningham, sophomores Madelyn Barrett, Jayden Brandt and junior Kaylee Kleinschmit
"In the middle of the race when you start walking on another boat, especially when it's KU, the power and cohesion that I feel in the boat is something so exciting," sophomore Gracyn McClain said. "That feeling of everyone working together in unison for one common goal is so empowering and what rowing is all about and the fact that we were able to put it all together and do it today at the Sunflower Showdown is even better."
The boat's victory secured the trophy for the Wildcats adding another 6 points to their tally.
"There is no better feeling than coming to the dock with everyone yelling for you, being proud of you and getting to share the win with my teammates and my boat is so special to me," McClain said. "We finished the race, knowing we had won the cup and even though we were all so exhausted we were so happy and proud of ourselves. Getting to hold the cup knowing our points and our boat helped us get there was so cool."
The 1v4+ raced next running a lineup of senior coxswain Kaitlyn Henke, junior Neva Roenne, sophomores Halle Fee, Emily Stark and junior Jadyn Greisen. The crew came in second with a time of 7:31.3, three-tenths of a second behind first place Kansas.
The 2v4+ raced next, finishing second with a time of 7:45.7. The boat consisted of freshman coxswain Kiersten Schmalz, sophomores Lindsey DeVreugd, Kendra Hamman, Catie Wood and Alyssa Buettner.
"The team's energy was and is always amazing, win or lose, we are excited for our teammates and want them to succeed," McClain said.
The 3v8+ was the final race of the day and the 'Cats battled to another first-place finish. The crew finished with a final time of 7:06.6, one second ahead of Kansas.
"KU started really strong, which forced our coxswain [Kennedy Loyd] to call us into the finish much earlier than previous races," Traub said. "We gave it everything we had, fed off each other's power and fought hard for a one second win over KU."
The boat consisted of freshman coxswain Kennedy Loyd, freshmen Ellie Erwin, Makenzie Storm, Grace Hall, Emma Johnson, Zoey Whorton, junior McKenna Johnson, and freshmen Tatum Alexander and Kyla Traub.
"Going into this morning our team was really focused but mostly excited. We had been anticipating this race all year," Traub. said "Our boat knew what we needed to do, it was just up to us to work as a team and get it done."
The 3v8+ victory added two more points for the Wildcats for a final score of 17 points.
"For as much of a high energy race as this was, when we got on the water it was nothing but calm and together. We knew we had a chance to win but that each of us would have to work and do it together so we all just locked in," McClain said.
After another successful weekend of racing the team is maintaining their focus and continuing to build speed as they look toward the Big 12 Championship.
"I'm hoping we can build off of this win and race our best possible race in Austin," Ryan said. "We still have a lot of room to improve but we have built a really good base and we will hopefully have some good water time these next two weeks to keep improving."
"We have a lot of great momentum going into the Big 12 and I'm excited to see what our boat can accomplish. It's going to be a lot of work, but I know we can do it," Traub said.
The Wildcats will have a week off from competition before traveling to Austin, Texas to compete in the Big 12 Championship on Sunday, May 14.
"We want to say thank you to Carrie Cook-Callen and her staff for their work to make this race possible. It was a great weekend of racing and we're proud of everything our athletes accomplished," Sweeney said. "We also want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters. Our family, friends, and alumni came out in full force this weekend. We appreciate everything you do for our athletes and our program."
Sunflower Showdown
Wyandotte County Lake
Kansas City, Kan.
First Varsity 8+ (1v8+)
1. K-State; 6:45.7, 2. Kansas; 6:53.1, 3. Creighton; 7:04.8
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+)
1. K-State; 6:52.3, 2. Kansas; 6:57.9, 3. Creighton; 7:14.9
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+)
1. Kansas; 7:31.0, 2. K-State; 7:31.3, 3. Creighton; 8:09.7
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+)
1. Kansas; 7:39.7, 2. K-State; 7:45.7, 3. Creighton; 8:41.5
Third Varsity 8+ (3v8+)
1. K-State; 7:06.6, 2. Kansas; 7:07.6, 3. Kansas 'B'; 7:12.1, 4. Creighton; 8:13.8
K-State lineups:
1v8+ lineup:
Cox: Paige Fox, Stroke: Rachel Harman, 7. Jordan Girkin, 6. Anna Ryan, 5. Madison Koller, 4. Patricia Hokanson, 3. Madison Jensen, 2. Bianca Wollmeister, Bow: Idallis Shaffer
2v8+ lineup:
Cox: Lauren Plum, Stroke: Grace Hendrickson, 7. Kay Pakkebier, 6. Gracyn McClain, 5. Symone Simmons, 4. Sylvia Cunningham, 3. Madelyn Barrett, 2. Jayden Brandt, Bow: Kaylee Kleinschmit
1v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kaitlyn Henke, Stroke: Neva Roenne, 3. Halle Fee, 2. Emily Stark, Bow: Jadyn Greisen
2v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kiersten Schmalz, Stroke: Lindsey DeVreugd, 3. Kendra Hamman, 2. Catie Wood, Bow: Alyssa Buettner
3v8+ lineup:
Cox: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Ellie Erwin, 7. Makenzie Storm, 6. Grace Hall, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Zoey Whorton, 3. McKenna Johnson, 2. Tatum Alexander, Bow: Kyla Traub
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.
"We're really proud of the way the team raced. We know our athletes are fit and strong, and the races today showed that," head coach Patrick Sweeney said. "They're learning how to race hard. The first eight did a good job of attacking their race aggressively and staying on it against KU. The second eight controlled their entire race and the third eight, being made up of all first-year rowers, did well showing they had the maturity to stay confident and row all the way through their race."
"The fours didn't click as well as we had hoped, but they fought the entire time. The team overall has done a good job and they have continued to come on as the season has progressed."
Last winning the Sunflower Showdown back-to-back during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Wildcats won the 1v8+, 2v8+ and 3v8+ races on Saturday for 17 total points over Kansas, who won two races for five points.
"It was a beautiful morning for rowing with a fantastic K-State fan base to cheer us on," freshman Kyla Traub said. "We are so grateful to everyone who showed up to support us."
The 1v8+ raced first and set the tone for the day, winning their race by a margin of almost 8 seconds at 6:45.7.
"After the start, at about the 250-meter mark, Paige [Fox] told us we were three seats down on KU and a couple seats up on Creighton," sophomore Anna Ryan said. "I remember thinking we had a lot of time to make those seats up. Next thing I knew, we were at the 500-meter mark and we were three seats up on KU. After the 500, we kept pushing up and gained open water. Once we walked through them, we knew we had to keep the seats we had gained."
The boat consisted of sophomore coxswain Paige Fox, sophomores Rachel Harman, Jordan Girkin, Anna Ryan, Madison Koller, junior Patricia Hokanson, senior Madison Jensen, freshman Bianca Wollmeister and junior Idallis Shaffer.
"It was amazing to feel the power and connection in our boat with every stroke. Paige [Fox] was aggressive and intentional with her calls and we responded well every time we needed to push," Ryan said. "After we finished, all of us knew we gave everything we had, and we were so proud of ourselves."
The 2v8+ dominated their race, coming away with another win at 6:52.3, more than 5 seconds ahead of second place Kansas. The lineup consisted of coxswain Lauren Plum, sophomore Grace Hendrickson, freshman Kay Pakkebier, sophomores Gracyn McClain, Symone Simmons, freshman Sylvia Cunningham, sophomores Madelyn Barrett, Jayden Brandt and junior Kaylee Kleinschmit
"In the middle of the race when you start walking on another boat, especially when it's KU, the power and cohesion that I feel in the boat is something so exciting," sophomore Gracyn McClain said. "That feeling of everyone working together in unison for one common goal is so empowering and what rowing is all about and the fact that we were able to put it all together and do it today at the Sunflower Showdown is even better."
The boat's victory secured the trophy for the Wildcats adding another 6 points to their tally.
"There is no better feeling than coming to the dock with everyone yelling for you, being proud of you and getting to share the win with my teammates and my boat is so special to me," McClain said. "We finished the race, knowing we had won the cup and even though we were all so exhausted we were so happy and proud of ourselves. Getting to hold the cup knowing our points and our boat helped us get there was so cool."
The 1v4+ raced next running a lineup of senior coxswain Kaitlyn Henke, junior Neva Roenne, sophomores Halle Fee, Emily Stark and junior Jadyn Greisen. The crew came in second with a time of 7:31.3, three-tenths of a second behind first place Kansas.
The 2v4+ raced next, finishing second with a time of 7:45.7. The boat consisted of freshman coxswain Kiersten Schmalz, sophomores Lindsey DeVreugd, Kendra Hamman, Catie Wood and Alyssa Buettner.
"The team's energy was and is always amazing, win or lose, we are excited for our teammates and want them to succeed," McClain said.
The 3v8+ was the final race of the day and the 'Cats battled to another first-place finish. The crew finished with a final time of 7:06.6, one second ahead of Kansas.
"KU started really strong, which forced our coxswain [Kennedy Loyd] to call us into the finish much earlier than previous races," Traub said. "We gave it everything we had, fed off each other's power and fought hard for a one second win over KU."
The boat consisted of freshman coxswain Kennedy Loyd, freshmen Ellie Erwin, Makenzie Storm, Grace Hall, Emma Johnson, Zoey Whorton, junior McKenna Johnson, and freshmen Tatum Alexander and Kyla Traub.
"Going into this morning our team was really focused but mostly excited. We had been anticipating this race all year," Traub. said "Our boat knew what we needed to do, it was just up to us to work as a team and get it done."
The 3v8+ victory added two more points for the Wildcats for a final score of 17 points.
"For as much of a high energy race as this was, when we got on the water it was nothing but calm and together. We knew we had a chance to win but that each of us would have to work and do it together so we all just locked in," McClain said.
After another successful weekend of racing the team is maintaining their focus and continuing to build speed as they look toward the Big 12 Championship.
"I'm hoping we can build off of this win and race our best possible race in Austin," Ryan said. "We still have a lot of room to improve but we have built a really good base and we will hopefully have some good water time these next two weeks to keep improving."
"We have a lot of great momentum going into the Big 12 and I'm excited to see what our boat can accomplish. It's going to be a lot of work, but I know we can do it," Traub said.
The Wildcats will have a week off from competition before traveling to Austin, Texas to compete in the Big 12 Championship on Sunday, May 14.
"We want to say thank you to Carrie Cook-Callen and her staff for their work to make this race possible. It was a great weekend of racing and we're proud of everything our athletes accomplished," Sweeney said. "We also want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters. Our family, friends, and alumni came out in full force this weekend. We appreciate everything you do for our athletes and our program."
Sunflower Showdown
Wyandotte County Lake
Kansas City, Kan.
First Varsity 8+ (1v8+)
1. K-State; 6:45.7, 2. Kansas; 6:53.1, 3. Creighton; 7:04.8
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+)
1. K-State; 6:52.3, 2. Kansas; 6:57.9, 3. Creighton; 7:14.9
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+)
1. Kansas; 7:31.0, 2. K-State; 7:31.3, 3. Creighton; 8:09.7
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+)
1. Kansas; 7:39.7, 2. K-State; 7:45.7, 3. Creighton; 8:41.5
Third Varsity 8+ (3v8+)
1. K-State; 7:06.6, 2. Kansas; 7:07.6, 3. Kansas 'B'; 7:12.1, 4. Creighton; 8:13.8
K-State lineups:
1v8+ lineup:
Cox: Paige Fox, Stroke: Rachel Harman, 7. Jordan Girkin, 6. Anna Ryan, 5. Madison Koller, 4. Patricia Hokanson, 3. Madison Jensen, 2. Bianca Wollmeister, Bow: Idallis Shaffer
2v8+ lineup:
Cox: Lauren Plum, Stroke: Grace Hendrickson, 7. Kay Pakkebier, 6. Gracyn McClain, 5. Symone Simmons, 4. Sylvia Cunningham, 3. Madelyn Barrett, 2. Jayden Brandt, Bow: Kaylee Kleinschmit
1v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kaitlyn Henke, Stroke: Neva Roenne, 3. Halle Fee, 2. Emily Stark, Bow: Jadyn Greisen
2v4+ lineup:
Cox: Kiersten Schmalz, Stroke: Lindsey DeVreugd, 3. Kendra Hamman, 2. Catie Wood, Bow: Alyssa Buettner
3v8+ lineup:
Cox: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Ellie Erwin, 7. Makenzie Storm, 6. Grace Hall, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Zoey Whorton, 3. McKenna Johnson, 2. Tatum Alexander, Bow: Kyla Traub
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.
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