Whipping local rival UC Davis for the third consecutive year and the second time in a week, the Sac State women?s varsity eight rowing team won the Jean Runyon Cup at the Aquatic Center last Saturday.

The Hornets are producing their fastest 2000-meter times of the season approaching the Pac-10 Championships next weekend. They were victorious by a convincing 7.8-second margin over the Aggies, improving their undefeated Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) record to 4-0.

“This regatta is a big rivalry between friends,” Sac State head coach Bill Zack said. “I knew if the team rowed well we would win.”

In order to avoid recent windy weather and speed-up race times, UC Davis requested the typical varsity afternoon start be rescheduled to 8:00 a.m. The Aggies took advantage by beginning the regatta strong and staying close to the Hornets.

But Sac State established a slight lead through 250 meters and distanced themselves one boat length by 750 meters.

“Davis has improved on their start since our last meeting, but we stretched the lead by two boat lengths by the third quarter mark,” Zack said.

The Hornets finished in a time of 6:47.5 and the Aggies came in at 6:55.3.

“We knew it would take a while for everyone to become comfortable with one another and race consistently,” Zack said. “Eliminating the last four or five seconds off your time is hard to come by and separates the good teams from the great ones.”

How a boat rows technically is a vital part of being successful, according to Zack. Two hundred-twenty strokes are the average for a seven-minute time and many tiny mistakes can add up and be costly.

The night before the regatta, the Hornets held their annual senior night to recognize the seniors and allow them to reflect back on their rowing memories.

Five of the nine Sac State varsity eight members will receive National Scholar Athlete awards for obtaining a 3.5 GPA at the Images of Excellence banquet on Tuesday. The Pac-10 Championships will take place Saturday and Sunday at Lake Natoma.