This article features terminology unique to rowing. For further information see main article Glossary of Rowing Terms

PLU Crew is the varsity rowing program for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.PLU Athletics Today the team consists of a varsity Women's programs, a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III, as well as the Northwest Conference, and a club Men's program.

History and Traditions The team was founded in 1964 as a joint program with University of Puget Sound. Following the demise of the PLU-UPS rowing club, Pacific Lutheran rowers formed the Lute Varsity Rowing Club in 1965.

PLU Crew first received national notoriety in 1967, when University of Washington requested the return of their old shell the "Husky Clipper," which the Huskies had used to win at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In exchange, UW arranged for Green Lake Crew to donate a shell, the "Loyal Shoudy" to the PLU team. Faced with no means of transporting the boat from north Seattle to PLU's home course in south Tacoma, team Commodore/Captain Jim Ojala devised a plan for the team to row the shell from Lake Union, through the Ballard Locks and down Puget Sound to the Tacoma Narrows. After several months of endurance training, contacting the Navy and Coast Guard, and obtaining a parade permit to walk the shell through North Seattle from Green Lake to Lake Union, the ten team members prepared to embark on their journey. The stunt resulted in the team receiving coverage of the event from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, as well as national rowing magazine Rowing News.PLU Crew in the Sixties"Way Enough!" Recollections on a Life of Rowing by Stan Pocock,

The team received a major setback after its boathouse burnt to the ground in Spring 1975.History After the Boathouse Fire However, in 1998 the team moved up the lake to its new boathouse, located on American Lake at Harry Todd Park in Tillicum.

In 2002, the women's team earned their first ever selection to the NCAA Division III rowing championship.They have competed a total of eight times (2002, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025), with a highest finish of 4th in 2016.

PLU's lightweight rowing program achieved some successes. In 2002, the Men's Lwt 4+ won the Dad Vails Regatta in Philadelphia2002 Dad Vail Results The Men's team has not returned to Dad Vails since 2002, they have since won the NCRC title in 2005NCRC 2005 Results and 2007.NCRC 2007 ResultsNot to be outdone, the Women's Lwt 4+ won the 2004 WIRA Championships at Lake Natoma, California. They followed up their win with second-place finishes in the event in 2005 and 2006.

The team's last red cedar shell, the Marjory Anderson, was refurbished in 2004, and was located for display in the new college bookstore beginning in July 2007.

They formerly competed as a member of the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference (NCRC) until 2015, when the Northwest Conference began sponsoring the women's rowing championship. The team went on to win every conference championship from 2016 until 2022.

Meyer Cup (Men) and Lamberth Cup (Women) Each Spring marks the annual Meyer-Lamberth Cup .

Meyer Cup Results (men's varsity eight)

PLU: 29 wins UPS: 27 wins

Meyer Cup Results Date Winner Series (PLU-UPS) 1964 Pacific Lutheran 01-00 1965 Pacific Lutheran 02-00 1966 Pacific Lutheran 03-00 1967 Pacific Lutheran 04-00 1968 Pacific Lutheran 05-00 1969 Pacific Lutheran 06-00 1970 Pacific Lutheran 07-00 1971 Pacific Lutheran 08-00 1972 Pacific Lutheran 09-00 1973 Pacific Lutheran 10-00 1974 Pacific Lutheran 11-00 1975 Puget Sound 11-01 1976 Puget Sound 11-02 1977 Pacific Lutheran 12-02 1978 Pacific Lutheran 13-02 1979 Pacific Lutheran 14-02 1980 Puget Sound 14-03 1981 Puget Sound 14-04 1982 Puget Sound 14-05 1983 Puget Sound 14-06 1984 Pacific Lutheran 15-06 1985 Pacific Lutheran 16-06 1986 Pacific Lutheran 17-06 1987 Pacific Lutheran 18-06 1988 Pacific Lutheran 19-06 1989 Pacific Lutheran 20-06 1990 Puget Sound 20-07 1991 Puget Sound 20-08 1992 Puget Sound 20-09 1993 Pacific Lutheran 21-09 1994 Pacific Lutheran 22-09 1995 Pacific Lutheran 23-09 1996 Pacific Lutheran 24-09 1997 Pacific Lutheran 25-09 1998 Pacific Lutheran 26-09 1999 Pacific Lutheran 27-09 2000 Pacific Lutheran 28-09 2001 Puget Sound 28-10 2002 Puget Sound 28-11 2003 Puget Sound 28-12 2004 Puget Sound 28-13 2005 Puget Sound 28-14 2006 Puget Sound 28-15 2007 Puget Sound 28-16 2008 Puget Sound 28-17 2009 Puget Sound 28-18 2010 Puget Sound 28-19 2011 Puget Sound 28-20 2012 Pacific Lutheran 29-20 2013 Puget Sound 29-21 2014 Puget Sound 29-22 2015 Puget Sound 29-23 2016 Puget Sound 29-24 2017 Puget Sound 29-25 2018 Puget Sound 29-26 2019 Puget Sound 29-27

Lamberth Cup Results (women's varsity eight)

PLU: 29 wins UPS: 19 wins

Lamberth Cup Results Date Winner Series (PLU-UPS) 1977 Pacific Lutheran 01-00 1978 Pacific Lutheran 02-00 1979 Pacific Lutheran 03-00 1980 Pacific Lutheran 04-00 1981 Pacific Lutheran 05-00 1982 Puget Sound 05-01 1983 Puget Sound 05-02 1984 Pacific Lutheran 06-02 1985 Pacific Lutheran 07-02 1986 Pacific Lutheran 08-02 1987 Pacific Lutheran 09-02 1988 Pacific Lutheran 10-02 1989 Pacific Lutheran 11-02 1990 Pacific Lutheran 12-02 1991 Pacific Lutheran 13-02 1992 Pacific Lutheran 14-02 1993 Pacific Lutheran 15-02 1994 Pacific Lutheran 16-02 1995 Pacific Lutheran 17-02 1996 Pacific Lutheran 18-02 1997 Pacific Lutheran 19-02 1998 Puget Sound 19-03 1999 Pacific Lutheran 20-03 2000 Pacific Lutheran 21-03 2001 Pacific Lutheran 22-03 2002 Pacific Lutheran 23-03 2003 Puget Sound 23-04 2004 Puget Sound 23-05 2005 Puget Sound 23-06 2006 Puget Sound 23-07 2007 Puget Sound 23-08 2008 Puget Sound 23-09 2009 Puget Sound 23-10 2010 Puget Sound 23-11 2011 Pacific Lutheran 24-11 2012 Puget Sound 24-12 2013 Puget Sound 24-13 2014 Puget Sound 24-14 2015 Puget Sound 24-15 2016 Pacific Lutheran 25-15 2017 Pacific Lutheran 26-15 2018 Puget Sound 26-16 2019 Pacific Lutheran 27-16 2021 Pacific Lutheran 28-16 2022 Pacific Lutheran 29-16 2023 Puget Sound 29-17 2024 Puget Sound 29-18 2025 Puget Sound 29-19

Head coaches CoachTenurePaul Meyer1964-1965J.R. Goerke1965-1966Jim Ojala1966-1969Norm Purvis1969-1970Ralph Neils1971-1972Dave Peterson1974-1985Bob Trondsen / Elise Lindborg1986Jeff Glenn / Elise Lindborg1987Doug Herland1988-1991Doug Nelson1991-2000Sarah Halsted2000-2003Tone Lawver2004-2011Thomas Schlenker2012-2014Tara Brunsfield2014-2015Lori Cark2015-2016Dave Harvey2016-2021Andy Foltz2015-2022Lizzie2022-2023Sienna Mathes2023-2024Matthew Oclander2024-present

All-Americans +YearAthlete(s)1993Brian Erstguard2004Lauren Rutledge2005Katie Schlepp2006Katie Schlepp Erin Wolf2007Amber Iverson2008Kat Jenkins2009Kat Jenkins2011Abby Smith2016Hannah Peterson2017Hannah Peterson2018Hannah Peterson2019Hannah Peterson Madeline Woods2021Julez Johnson Elizabeth Horner2022Julez Johnson Elizabeth Horner

National team members Sarah Jones '93, competitor in the Women's 8+ at the 2000 Summer Olympics and in the 2- at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Doug Herland '73, Bronze medalist coxswain in the M2+ at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Bjorn Larsen '03, Silver medalist in the ML4- at the 2007 Pan American Games. Elise Linborg '84, competitor at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

See also College rowing in the United States NCAA Division III rowing championship

References

External links

2004-2005 Media Guide 2005-2006 Media Guide 2006-2007 Media Guide 2007-2008 Media Guide