By Sara Brooks, Assistant Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6219

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's varsity eight+ crew is ranked 9th in Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA)/USRowing NCAA Division III Eights Coaches Poll. Rankings were released on March 31. The women's lightweight varsity eight+ is ranked 16th based on points received in the USRowing/CRCA poll.

In the WV8+ the Bearcats earned 106 points. Williams College is ranked #1 with 180 points. The University of Puget Sound is currently ranked #5 with 145 points. Willamette trails #8 Mt. Holyoke College by just three points.

The WL8+ earned 29 points in the poll which left them just two points shy of being ranked in the top 15 in the nation. All fifteen schools that are ranked above the Bearcats are NCAA Division I institutions. The University of Wisconsin is ranked first overall with 160 points. Pacific Lutheran University finished six points behind the Bearcats with 23 points.

Willamette's next rowing competition is set for Saturday, April 10 at the Covered Bridge Regatta in Eugene, Ore. Races at Dexter Lake will get underway at 8 a.m. (PDT).