Pacific Lutheran University Crew


PLU Crew is the varsity rowing program for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. The team was founded in 1964 as a joint program with University of Puget Sound. Today the team consists of Men's and Women's programs for both Varsity and Novice rowers, and competes as a member of the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference and Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association.

History

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.
The team received a major setback after its boathouse burnt to the ground in Spring 1975.
In 1998 the team moved up the lake to its new boathouse, located at Harry Todd Park in Tillicum. The team shares the boathouse with UPS and Commencement Bay Rowing Club, a Masters and Juniors program.
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.

Meyer-Lamberth Cup

April 13, 2013, marked the fiftieth annual Meyer-Lamberth Cup. The regatta between PLU and cross-town rivals University of Puget Sound Rowing is the oldest annual dual regatta on the west coast of the United States.
Meyer Cup Results
Meyer Cup Results--
DateWinnerSeries
1964Pacific Lutheran01-00
1965Pacific Lutheran02-00
1966Pacific Lutheran03-00
1967Pacific Lutheran04-00
1968Pacific Lutheran05-00
1969Pacific Lutheran06-00
1970Pacific Lutheran07-00
1971Pacific Lutheran08-00
1972Pacific Lutheran09-00
1973Pacific Lutheran10-00
1974Pacific Lutheran11-00
1975Puget Sound11-01
1976Puget Sound11-02
1977Pacific Lutheran12-02
1978Pacific Lutheran13-02
1979Pacific Lutheran14-02
1980Puget Sound14-03
1981Puget Sound14-04
1982Puget Sound14-05
1983Puget Sound14-06
1984Pacific Lutheran15-06
1985Pacific Lutheran16-06
1986Pacific Lutheran17-06
1987Pacific Lutheran18-06
1988Pacific Lutheran19-06
1989Pacific Lutheran20-06
1990Puget Sound20-07
1991Puget Sound20-08
1992Puget Sound20-09
1993Pacific Lutheran21-09
1994Pacific Lutheran22-09
1995Pacific Lutheran23-09
1996Pacific Lutheran24-09
1997Pacific Lutheran25-09
1998Pacific Lutheran26-09
1999Pacific Lutheran27-09
2000Pacific Lutheran28-09
2001Puget Sound28-10
2002Puget Sound28-11
2003Puget Sound28-12
2004Puget Sound28-13
2005Puget Sound28-14
2006Puget Sound28-15
2007Puget Sound28-16
2008Puget Sound28-17
2009Puget Sound28-18
2010Puget Sound28-19
2011Puget Sound28-20
2012Pacific Lutheran29-20
2013Puget Sound29-21
2014Puget Sound29-22
2015Puget Sound29-23
2016Puget Sound29-24
2017Puget Sound29-25
2018Puget Sound29-26
2019Puget Sound29-27

Lamberth Cup Results
Lamberth Cup Results--
DateWinnerSeries
1977Pacific Lutheran01-00
1978Pacific Lutheran02-00
1979Pacific Lutheran03-00
1980Pacific Lutheran04-00
1981Pacific Lutheran05-00
1982Puget Sound05-01
1983Puget Sound05-02
1984Pacific Lutheran06-02
1985Pacific Lutheran07-02
1986Pacific Lutheran08-02
1987Pacific Lutheran09-02
1988Pacific Lutheran10-02
1989Pacific Lutheran11-02
1990Pacific Lutheran12-02
1991Pacific Lutheran13-02
1992Pacific Lutheran14-02
1993Pacific Lutheran15-02
1994Pacific Lutheran16-02
1995Pacific Lutheran17-02
1996Pacific Lutheran18-02
1997Pacific Lutheran19-02
1998Puget Sound19-03
1999Pacific Lutheran20-03
2000Pacific Lutheran21-03
2001Pacific Lutheran22-03
2002Pacific Lutheran23-03
2003Puget Sound23-04
2004Puget Sound23-05
2005Puget Sound23-06
2006Puget Sound23-07
2007Puget Sound23-08
2008Puget Sound23-09
2009Puget Sound23-10
2010Puget Sound23-11
2011Pacific Lutheran24-11
2012Puget Sound24-12
2013Puget Sound24-13
2014Puget Sound24-14
2015Puget Sound24-15
2016Pacific Lutheran25-15
2017Pacific Lutheran26-15
2018Puget Sound26-16
2019Pacific Lutheran27-16

Lightweight Program

PLU's lightweight rowing program have achieved some successes in recent years. In 2002, the Men's Lwt 4+ traveled to the annual Dad Vails Regatta in Philadelphia, winning their event, and consequently a small college championship. Though the Men's team has not returned to Dad Vails since 2002, they have since won the NCRC title in 2005 and 2007.
Not to be outdone, the Women's Lwt4+ 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.

Head Coaches

++ denotes a non-PLU graduate

All-Americans