Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Finishes rowing career with Pacific Lutheran University
SARASOTA, FLA. - Rosalia's Hannah Beach rowed with seven other women from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) to a fifth-place finish in the NCAA Division III national crew championships.
PLU made it with an at-large bid, after winning its fifth-consecutive Northwest Conference championship.
Beach, a four-year captain from Rosalia, graduates in December with a nursing degree.
"She's an incredible person to have on the team. A hard worker, models behavior for everyone," said Coach Andy Foltz. "She also questions what we're doing to help us think things through differently."
Beach rowed in the "six seat," third from the coxswain.
In Sarasota on May 28-29, all three levels of NCAA rowing convened for the national championships, though racing separately.
"The atmosphere was super-competitive. It gives me chills just thinking about it," said Beach.
She joined the team as a freshman in 2017 with no experience in the sport. Not an uncommon start in rowing, she earned a spot in PLU's top boat in the first season as they practiced on American Lake near Tacoma.
Beach stayed in the first boat all four years competing in the spring and training throughout the year. The Lutes finished sixth at nationals in 2018 and 2019, before the 2020 season was shut down for the COVID virus.
Growing up in Rosalia, Beach played volleyball, basketball, ran track, and was involved in FFA and National Honor Society. She originally wanted to play basketball in college.
Before arriving at PLU, she received a mass e-mail to incoming freshmen from Foltz. On campus, sitting in her single dorm room, Beach decided to go to the meeting.
She met someone there and became fast friends, but still was not sure she would go to more than a practice or two. Soon she was sure.
"It was the best decision I ever made, ever," Beach said.
It became her schedule, along with classes and a barista job on campus. In the spring, rowing practices started at 5:15 a.m. and ran from Monday through Saturday.
"I've done a lot of sports but never as hard as this," Beach said. "The leg strength, your whole body, and you're always trying to fix little technical things. There are so many integral parts."
With one semester left for her degree, she isn't rowing in the lighter fall season. It is mainly to prepare for life after she graduates.
"My last semester is (still) going to be tough," Beach said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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