University of Minnesota Athletics
ROW: Gopher Rowing Gears Up for South/Central Sprints
5/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Gopher Lineup
The First Varsity Eight will begin it's competition on Saturday morning. The 15th-ranked Golden Gophers will include their same lineup as used in the Big Ten Championship team. Megan Flannery will be the Gophers' coxswain, while Cheryl Wick will be at the stroke position, Beth Ratterman, Vilma Stragyte, Jillian Casey, Laura Jatautaite, Erika Bartkute, Berit Tomten and Lida Storch at bow.
In the Gophers' Second Varsity Eight, Kristi Branigan will serve as the coxswain, followed by Jenna Buskohl at stroke. Also in the boat will be Liz Ponder in the seven seat, Sally Olson, Andrea Pierce, Mary Ann Weinzierl, Katherine Casey, Heidi Bechtel and Katie Biese at bow.
Minnesota will also compete in the Varsity Four competition. Leah Gross will be the coxswain, followed by Megan Stuhlfaut, Katie Engel, Maggie Armstrong and Tina Cho.
This Time Last Year
Virginia won last year's competition with a total of 404 points. Ohio State, who won the First Varsity Eight race, finished second with a team total of 391. Minnesota finished eighth out of 23 schools, posting 264 points. The Gophers' Second Varsity Eight advanced to the Grand Final, placing sixth overall.
Gophers Finish Fifth in Big Ten Championships
The Golden Gophers are competing in their first competition since the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago. Minnesota finished fifth in the team standings, while Michigan State won the championship.
In the First Varsity Eight action, Minnesota drew No. 3 Michigan and No. 14 Wisconsin in its heat. Although the Gophers finished third in their morning heat, Minnesota clocked an impressive time of 6:30.93. The Gophers were just a little under the Wolverines' time of 6: 29.77 and the Badgers' time of 6:30.17. The Gophers won the Petite Final over Indiana and Iowa.
Lithuanian Connection
The Gophers have three rowers in the First Varsity Eight that hail from Lithuania. Erika Bartkute, Laura Jatautaite and Vilma Stragyte all competed with the Lithuanian Junior National Rowing Team. Bartkute and Stragyte competed last year with the Gophers and it is Jatautaite’s first year with the Maroon and Gold. Stragyte was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, announced at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago.
Oh Captain, My Captain
Senior Andrea Pierce has the role of the Gophers’ captain. Pierce has competed in every varsity event this season in both the First Varsity and Second Varsity Eight.
On the Docket
The Gophers hope to make it to the NCAA Championships, held next weekend in Sacramento, Calif. If Minnesota advances, it will be the first time in school history for the Gophers to make it to the national championships. Minnesota started its rowing program in the 2000-01 season.
