By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – After capturing its ninth NCAA Division II women’s rowing national championship a season ago, Western Washington emerged as the favorite in the 2025 Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll.
The Vikings claimed 3 of 4 first-place votes and totaled 14 points to top the poll, after winning the GNAC Championships title for the second time in four seasons last spring. Cal Poly Humboldt, the 2023 NCAA Division II national champion, was second in the coaches poll with 12 points and the other first-place vote. University of Central Oklahoma was third with 10 points and Seattle Pacific completed the list of teams with four points.
| 2025 GNAC Women's Rowing Preseason Coaches Poll |
| Rank |
Team (1st Place Votes) |
2025 Schedule |
2025 Roster |
Points |
| 1 |
Western Washington (3) |
Schedule |
Roster |
14 |
| 2 |
Cal Poly Humboldt (1) |
Schedule |
Roster |
12 |
| 3 |
Central Oklahoma |
Schedule |
Roster |
10 |
| 4 |
Seattle Pacific |
Schedule |
Roster |
4 |
| Points awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis |
Courtney Moeller, who played a key role as an assistant on
last year’s national title team, begins her first season as head coach of the Viking program. The Vikings return the 2024 CRCA National Athlete of the Year and 2024 GNAC Rower of the Year
Mia Marie Knipe, who is back for her junior campaign this spring.
Janisa Cook returns after being selected the GNAC co-Coxswain of the Year last season, giving WWU another key leader for 2025.
Emma Clark,
Reed Chesnek,
Sarah Ernst and
Maddie Kidd were each named all-conference last season and are all back on WWU’s reloaded roster as well. The Vikings kick off their 2025 campaign on March 8 with the Pacific Lutheran Invitational on American Lake in Lakewood, Wash.
The Lumberjacks finished second at last year’s GNAC Championships and also return a swath of talent. Seniors
Dana Foley,
Sonja Scollon and
Kealey Scott are all back to headline the Cal Poly Humboldt roster, after landing on the all-conference team a year ago. Foley was the 2023 GNAC Rower of the Year and Scollon was the 2023 GNAC Coxswain of the Year, each playing a part in the team’s most recent national championship title two seasons ago.
Matt Weise begins his fifth season piloting the Lumberjacks in 2025, and the team is scheduled to kick off its slate at Sacramento State on March 15 in Gold River, Calif.
Central Oklahoma bid farewell to three-time all-conference selection and 2023 CRCA National Rower of the Year Faith Brooks, who had one of the best careers in GNAC history. The top name returning to the Bronchos’ roster is 2024 all-conference pick
Victoria Petschnig who is back for her final season.
Jimmy Francis is at the outset of his first season leading the Central Oklahoma women’s rowing program, which finished third at last year’s GNAC Championships. The Bronchos kick off their 2025 season on March 8 in Oklahoma City, Okla., in a matchup against Kansas State.
Rounding out the preseason poll was Seattle Pacific, which finished fourth at last year’s conference championship including a team victory in the varsity 4+ race. Junior
Aleksia
Haugen returns to the roster after being named the 2024 GNAC co-Coxswain of the Year, headlining the list of returners for SPU in 2025.
Caitlin McClain begins her fifth season leading the Falcon program, after leading the Falcons to the gold medal in the varsity 4+ at the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships. SPU’s 2025 slate gets underway at the Pacific Lutheran Invitational on March 8 alongside Western Washington.
The 2025 GNAC Women’s Rowing Championships are set for May 17 at Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif., and run in conjunction with the West Coast Conference Championships. Complete championship details, including a schedule and championship history,
can be found online here.