PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots women's rowing team begins their fall season this weekend when they travel north for the American Fall Classic in Lakewood, Wash. The Pilots will race five boats at the regatta, which is scheduled for Sunday morning on American Lake.
 
"The team is ready to race and test our speed and combinations against local competition," Portland head coach Pasha Spencer said. "We have more experienced seniors on the team this year and although we have hit higher rates and speed, we need to gain that valuable experience that travel and racing brings."
 
Portland's varsity eight will be the first boat on the water, and senior Miranda Reyes will be in the coxswain seat, while Lauren Jesse will be rowing stroke. The second eight, coxed by sophomore Emma Papenhausen and stroked by sophomore Avery Romano, will follow, and both crews will be squaring off against Seattle Pacific in the head race on the 5K course.
 
The Pilots will also race three fours while on American Lake, with those crews also going against Seattle Pacific. Portland's three coxswains for the fours are Reyes, Papenhausen, and junior Marissa Frazzini.
 
This is the first of three scheduled events this fall for the Pilots, who next race at the annual Portland Fall Classic on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The PFC is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28, with the first race set for 8:30 a.m.
 
Portland Lineups
Varsity Eight: Miranda Reyes (coxswain), Lauren Jesse, Veronica Nicacio, Desi Petrova, Megan Medalia, Lauren Formigli, Megan Del Pozzi, Acacia Welsford, Jacquelyn Bass.
 
Second Eight: Emma Papenhausen (coxswain), Avery Romano, Catherine Watson, Brianne Zbylicki, Mollie Rutz, Lillyanne Landers, Joselene Piedra-Rodriguez, Karen Gonzalez Yanez, Amanda Hernandez Michalski.
 
Varsity Four 'A': Miranda Reyes (coxswain), Lauren Jesse, Veronica Nicacio, Acacia Wellsford, Jacquelyn Bass
 
Varsity Four 'B': Emma Papenhausen (coxswain), Avery Romano, Reeca Bardon, Karen Gonzalez Yanez, Audrey Shellum-Gonzalez
 
Varsity Four 'C': Marissa Frazzini (coxswain), Meredith Marcinko, Lauren Yee, Sydney Gardner, Alondra Quiroga-Bernal