By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University rowing team schedule for 2014-15 has been announced by Head Coach Reba Knickerbocker. The schedule features two events in the fall, with five additional events during the spring season.

The Bearcats will open the year by competing at the Row for the Cure in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 28. Action will be held on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The Bearcats will be raising money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

WU will close out the fall season at the Portland Fall Classic, sponsored by the Station L Rowing Club and the Rose City Rowing Club, on Oct. 26. The race will be on the Willamette River.

"I'm looking forward to my first fall season with Willamette rowing," Head Coach Reba Knickerbocker said. "We will be focusing on developing a solid base of fitness and improving our technical rowing in preparation for our spring season.

"I'm also looking forward to introducing this great sport to some new Bearcat rowers through our novice team. Our novice crew info meeting will be on August 31 and I'm excited to see who comes out to row."

The team will have a lengthy break for the winter months before returning to action on March 21 in a triangular meet with Northwest Conference rivals Pacific University and Lewis & Clark College. The regatta will be held at Haag Lake near Forest Grove, Ore.

Willamette will row at the Daffodil Sprints at American Lake in Tacoma, Wash., on March 28. The Bearcats also will be at American Lake on April 11 for dual match-ups with University of Puget Sound, Lewis & Clark and Pacific.

The first-ever Northwest Conference Rowing Championships will be held on April 19 at Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Wash. There are now five NWC teams with rowing: Willamette, Lewis & Clark, Pacific, Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound.

Closing out the season will be the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships, set for April 25-26 at Lake Natoma in California. The prestigious regional event includes teams from all three NCAA Divisions as well as club teams. Willamette will compete primarily against NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and club teams.

As the rowing program grows, the Bearcats will have a larger group of varsity members on the team.

"We will be welcoming two new experienced varsity rowers to WU rowing this fall. The addition of these experienced rowers helps to deepen our squad and maintain a competitive foundation at the varsity level."