University of Minnesota Athletics
ROW: Gophers Sweep Competition at Head of the Iowa
10/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Golden Gophers First Varsity Eight boat won the Open 8+ competition, beating out 18 entries. The Minnesota team of coxswain Kristi Branigan, Katie Biese, Lida Storch, Cheryl Wick, Sam Wangsgard, Vilma Stragyte, Erika Bartkute, Beth Ratterman and Andrea Pierce finished in a time of 13:43.69.They defeated host institution, the University of Iowa, who finished second with a time of 13:44.88. The Minnesota B boat of Leah Gross, Rachel Hotkowski, Megan Stuhlfaut, Katie Engel, Sally Olson, Laura Jatautaite, Jillian Casey, Berit Tomten and Jenna Buskohl finished third in 13:51.90. The Gophers also added a Minnesota C shell, which finished fifth overall. The boat contained coxswain Megan Flannery, Synnove Flesland, Heidi Bechtel, Liz Ponder, Shauna Frank, Tina Cho, Maggie Armstrong, Christine O'Donnell and Tracey Tallman.
The Gophers dominated the Open 4+ field, placing three boats in the top five spots. The Minnesota A team of Gross, Bartkute, Stragyte, Ratterman and Pierce won the race in 15:17.64. The Minnesota B shell of coxswain Carla Ballacer, Biese, Storch, Wick and Casey finished second with a time of 15:27.71. Minnesota C added a time of 15:55 to finish fifth, containing coxswain Kaja Tally, Hotkowski, Olson, Tomten and Wangsgard. The Minnesota D team finished 15th out of 28 entries. Flannery, Jennifer Sharpe, Anja Kroll, Angela Reesman, and Ashford Kroll clocked a time of 16:41.92.
In her first lightweight singles event contested, Tally added a time of 19:58.37, good enough for third overall.
In novice action, the Gophers won both the Novice 8+ and Novice 4+ races. The Gophers placed their two teams in the top three in Novice 8+ action. The Minnesota A team of coxswain Alanna Hjortland, Jynelle Lee, Jessica Wallander, Caitlin Smith, Jenny Falor, Kit Casey, Amanda Howlett, Lauren Van Proosdy and Mary Weinzierl chipped in a winning time of 15:19.61. The Minnesota B team of Ameila Moon, Victoria Dahlgren, Kelly Wynn, Kali Wolfgram, Catherine Malovrh, Meghan Calhoun, Carina Enbody and Teresa De Trempe finished third out of 20 entries with a time of 15:47.24.
The Minnesota Novice 4+ entries also finished in the top five of 20 entries. The Minnesota A team of coxswain Stephanie Holzwart, Alissa Almquist, Paige Hanson, Kelsey Underdahl and Katie Simpson had the best time, finishing in 16:32.86. The Minnesota B team of Blair Tomten, Claire Dalton, Erika Stillman, Katherine Groth, and Jynelle Gorka added a time of 17:42.51.
The Gophers take the next week off to prepare for the Head of the Lake, Nov.14, in Seattle Wash. The Head of the Lake regatta is the final fall race for the Gophers.
