LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- The Loggers raced well in their first event of the season, kicking off their 2026 campaign at the PLU Invitational.

How it Happened
The Women's Varsity 8+ got the log rolling, taking on boats from the University of Oregon and Lewis & Clark. They took to the water and finished with a time of 7:26.0, which was the fastest DIII time of the regatta. Cross-town rival Pacific Lutheran finished with a time of 7:29.7, Lewis & Clark rowed a 7:47.9, and Pacific came across the finish line in 8:15.0. This was an exceptional race for the Loggers, as they positioned themselves as the team to beat in 2026. 

The Women's 2V 8+ also raced well, rowing a time of 8:09.9. They finished just behind Lewis & Clark's 2V, and are looking to get their 2k time under the eight-minute mark. The late-morning races also went well for the Loggers, as the 1V improved on their time by one tenth of a second. They cruised to a time of 7:25.9, beating out the rest of the Northwest Conference schools by a fairly wide margin. 

The Men's crew team also got on the water, winning their race in the Open 8+ division. They cruised to a time of 6:51.2, taking down Lewis & Clark and Western Washington's novice boat. This was their only race of the afternoon, as they scratched their early morning races. 

Coach's Thoughts
"A great day of racing by all crews," said Logger head coach David Hammond. "We worked hard in trying conditions, and had a lot of crews come out on top, including the first men's 8+ to go down the race course in a decade! We can't wait to get back on the water on Monday to continue to build on the first race of the season, and first time down the 2k course for 14 of our athletes."

What Happens Next
The Loggers host the Puget Sound Invite next Saturday, March 14th.