University of Minnesota Athletics
2004-05 Gopher Rowing Outlook
9/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
"We finished fifth in the First Varsity Eight at the Big Ten Championships last year," Davis said. "The other four teams finished 13th or better in the country. So every time we turn around, we'll be facing stiff competition. The Big Ten is the strongest conference in the nation. Although no one from the Big Ten won the national title, it was the overall deepest conference. We'll see Iowa and Wisconsin at the Head of the Rock and we'll see everyone at the Head of the Charles. In the spring, we race one really good team after another. We feel, however, that we'll be able to race with these teams and hopefully make it to the NCAAs."
The Gophers, however, will be without some of its strongest leaders of the 2003-04 season. Minnesota lost three-time All-American Melissa Roche, second-team All-Big Ten selection Jackie Gagner, coxswain Katherine Nelson, Jill Peters and Heidi Rose from the First Varsity Eight shell. Although being without five 1V8 members, the Maroon and Gold will return four this season. Andrea Pierce has been selected as the captain, while Beth Ratterman, Vilma Stragyte and Sam Wangsgard will continue to strengthen the boat. The rest of the positions are anyone's for the taking.
"You never know who is going to blossom and really step up until you get them out in the water. However, I feel that Jillian (Casey), Cheryl Wick and Erika (Bartkute) will be ready to step up this year for us. Both Cheryl and Jillian stepped up last spring season in the Second Varsity Eight. They were a dynamic part of the team and with their improved technique, I feel that they are ready to step up and be in the First Varsity Eight."
Along with filling the spots in the boat, Davis will also look to see who will be able to move up as a leader for them as well.
"I'm going to be really curious to see what happens with our leadership this year," Davis said. "We lost our four strongest rowers in Melissa, Jackie, Heidi and Jill. I have the feeling that people are going to start thinking about being a leader instead of looking around to see who will do it for them. Although she wasn't in the First Varsity Eight, Lida Storch was one of our great leaders off the water. She is a very dynamic person. Lida is always prepared and very perceptive about what needs to be done and how to do it. She's a little shorter then the other seniors. That's where she has a disadvantage, but she's as tough as they come. I don't know her exact role in the water, but I'll be curious to see how this year plays out for her."
Stragyte, a native of Kaunas, Lithuania, did not compete in the first half of the 2003-04 season. She immediately stepped up in the spring season and was the No. 5 seat in the 1V8. Although Stragyte competed in every spring race last year, Davis feels her best is yet to come.
"Vilma had an injury before she came to Minnesota and came to us out of rowing shape and was overwhelmed with a different culture and the language barrier. She's one of the reasons why I'm looking forward to this year because she and Erika could really have a breakout year. It's tough coming into that situation of learning a new culture and adjusting to that. They have done a great job and I'm excited for both of them."
The Gophers will also look to last year's novice team and the incoming freshmen class to help fill holes of the Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four shells. The First Novice Eight became the first boat in Minnesota history to win a Grand Final in the Big Ten Championship and went undefeated in the spring season. Although it is a large learning curve from the novice to varsity team, Davis hopes that some of the freshmen and sophomores will step up in a big way.
"It will be interesting to see what happens with last year's novice team," Davis said. "We have good athletes, but it's hard to judge where they will fit following the novice season. I hope that people like Berit (Tomten) will be able to challenge for the First Varsity Eight. We will look to keep our recruited freshmen with the varsity longer then what we've done in the past. Tina Cho is very, very aggressive. Synnove (Flesland) is a sculler from Norway. Depending on how quickly she adjusts to the bigger sweep boats, she can bring us more speed. Christine O'Donnell is coming from a good program and Laura Jatautaite from Lithuania could make an immediate at the top of the program."
The Golden Gophers open the season at home hosting the Head of the Mississippi and follow with the Head of the Rock on Oct. 10. The Gophers look forward to their home spring race, April 23 when they host UCLA and Southern Methodist at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, Minn. With four years under her belt, head coach Wendy Davis has set a foundation for the Golden Gopher rowing program. Now in her fifth season, Davis and the Golden Gophers will not only look to improve on their success of the past, but reach their ultimate goal of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. It has been a task that has yet to be achieved, but each year the Gophers get closer in reaching their goal. Minnesota will have its work cut out for them, however, competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
"We finished fifth in the First Varsity Eight at the Big Ten Championships last year," Davis said. "The other four teams finished 13th or better in the country. So every time we turn around, we'll be facing stiff competition. The Big Ten is the strongest conference in the nation. Although no one from the Big Ten won the national title, it was the overall deepest conference. We'll see Iowa and Wisconsin at the Head of the Rock and we'll see everyone at the Head of the Charles. In the spring, we race one really good team after another. We feel, however, that we'll be able to race with these teams and hopefully make it to the NCAAs."
The Gophers, however, will be without some of its strongest leaders of the 2003-04 season. Minnesota lost three-time All-American Melissa Roche, second-team All-Big Ten selection Jackie Gagner, coxswain Katherine Nelson, Jill Peters and Heidi Rose from the First Varsity Eight shell. Although being without five 1V8 members, the Maroon and Gold will return four this season. Andrea Pierce has been selected as the captain, while Beth Ratterman, Vilma Stragyte and Sam Wangsgard will continue to strengthen the boat. The rest of the positions are anyone's for the taking.
"You never know who is going to blossom and really step up until you get them out in the water. However, I feel that Jillian (Casey), Cheryl Wick and Erika (Bartkute) will be ready to step up this year for us. Both Cheryl and Jillian stepped up last spring season in the Second Varsity Eight. They were a dynamic part of the team and with their improved technique, I feel that they are ready to step up and be in the First Varsity Eight."
Along with filling the spots in the boat, Davis will also look to see who will be able to move up as a leader for them as well.
"I'm going to be really curious to see what happens with our leadership this year," Davis said. "We lost our four strongest rowers in Melissa, Jackie, Heidi and Jill. I have the feeling that people are going to start thinking about being a leader instead of looking around to see who will do it for them. Although she wasn't in the First Varsity Eight, Lida Storch was one of our great leaders off the water. She is a very dynamic person. Lida is always prepared and very perceptive about what needs to be done and how to do it. She's a little shorter then the other seniors. That's where she has a disadvantage, but she's as tough as they come. I don't know her exact role in the water, but I'll be curious to see how this year plays out for her."
Stragyte, a native of Kaunas, Lithuania, did not compete in the first half of the 2003-04 season. She immediately stepped up in the spring season and was the No. 5 seat in the 1V8. Although Stragyte competed in every spring race last year, Davis feels her best is yet to come.
"Vilma had an injury before she came to Minnesota and came to us out of rowing shape and was overwhelmed with a different culture and the language barrier. She's one of the reasons why I'm looking forward to this year because she and Erika could really have a breakout year. It's tough coming into that situation of learning a new culture and adjusting to that. They have done a great job and I'm excited for both of them."
The Gophers will also look to last year's novice team and the incoming freshmen class to help fill holes of the Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four shells. The First Novice Eight became the first boat in Minnesota history to win a Grand Final in the Big Ten Championship and went undefeated in the spring season. Although it is a large learning curve from the novice to varsity team, Davis hopes that some of the freshmen and sophomores will step up in a big way.
"It will be interesting to see what happens with last year's novice team," Davis said. "We have good athletes, but it's hard to judge where they will fit following the novice season. I hope that people like Berit (Tomten) will be able to challenge for the First Varsity Eight. We will look to keep our recruited freshmen with the varsity longer then what we've done in the past. Tina Cho is very, very aggressive. Synnove (Flesland) is a sculler from Norway. Depending on how quickly she adjusts to the bigger sweep boats, she can bring us more speed. Christine O'Donnell is coming from a good program and Laura Jatautaite from Lithuania could make an immediate at the top of the program."
The Golden Gophers open the season at home hosting the Head of the Mississippi and follow with the Head of the Rock on Oct. 10. The Gophers look forward to their home spring race, April 23 when they host UCLA and Southern Methodist at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, Minn.
