Feb. 28, 2006

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's and women's crew teams will start the spring season this weekend, as they participate in the annual Cal State Sacramento Dual. On Saturday, competition for both programs will begin at Lake Natoma in Sacramento.

At the helm of the men's program is first-year head coach Weislaw Kujda. He leads a program which includes 31 rowers and five upperclassmen into the spring season. Last year, the men's team won the CSU Sacramento Dual with victories in both the varsity four and varsity eight races. The varsity four, behind by almost a second with only 300 meters remaining in the race, came through in the final stretch to win by nearly two seconds. The varsity eight win was the fifth straight win in head-to-head competition with Sacramento State for the Santa Clara men's program. With the annual dual meet, the Hornets and Broncos have created a rivalry, making last year's victories on the men's side extremely important to the program.

On the women's side, Santa Clara is led by another first-year head coach, Carlo Facchino. The program includes a determined group of 30 rowers and eight upperclassmen. Last year, the team was unable to pick up a win in its four races against the Hornets, yet this year the team is bent on seeking revenge for the defeat.

After Saturday's dual meet, the women's team will compete in the Davis Invitational on Sunday, also in Sacramento. The next event for the men will be the USC Scrimmage on March 11 at Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos.