University of Minnesota Athletics
Rowing Heads East to Compete at NCAA Championships This Weekend
5/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
The University of Minnesota rowing team will make its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance this year, May 26-28, in West Windsor, N.J. The Gophers start competition on Friday and throughout the rest of the weekend.
Order of Events
The Maroon and Gold will compete in one race at the NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers’ kick off action early Friday morning and continue through the weekend. Listed below are the scheduled times for the First Varsity Eight races.
Race Friday: Heats: 8 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 8:30 a.m., Repechage: 4 p.m.
Saturday: Semifinals: 10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11 a.m.
Sunday: Petite Final: 11:45 a.m., Grand Final: 12 p.m.
Gopher Competitors
Minnesota will have nine competing at the NCAA Championships this weekend. The Gophers’ First Varsity Eight consists of coxswain Megan Flannery, Cheryl Wick at stroke, Berit Tomten, Jillian Casey, Jennifer Barnes, Laura Jatautaite, Vilma Stragyte, Erika Bartkute and Katie Biese at bow. Minnesota will also travel Megan Stuhlfaut and Maggie Armstrong as its spares.
The National Field
The Golden Gophers received an at-large bid and will be one of 16 Division I teams to compete at the national championships. The Gophers are also one of three teams to represent the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State and Michigan State will also compete as teams at the championships.
Teams (First Varsity Eight Ranking)
Brown (6)
California (2)
Michigan State (17-t)
Notre Dame (5)
Ohio State (7)
Princeton (1)
Stanford (15)
Tennessee (9)
Washington (11)
Washington State (3)
Wisconsin (10)
Yale (8)
At-Large Eights
Boston University (13)
Minnesota (12)
Southern California (4)
UCLA (17-t)
Gophers in the Rankings
After an impressive second-place finish at the Big Ten Conference championship, the University of Minnesota First Varsity Eight boat moved up from No. 17 in the nation to a No. 9 ranking, announced by Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association and USRowing. It is the highest ranking for the Golden Gopher rowing program. Since the South/Central Sprints, the Gophers are now ranked 12th in the First Varsity Eight poll. The Golden Gophers were ranked for the first time in school history last year and were ranked as high as No. 15.
South/Central Sprint Recap
Minnesota competed in three events at the South/Central region sprints in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Gophers finished eighth overall and sixth in the Central Region, although they did not travel their Second Varsity Four and their First and Second Novice Eight teams. There were 21 teams that competed at the regional sprints.Minnesota competed in two Grand Finals in the First Varsity Eight and the First Varsity Four. Minnesota's First Varsity Eight boat came in fifth in the Grand Final. Notre Dame won the race in a time of 6:26.00, while Big Ten champion Ohio State finished second in 6:26.82, Tennessee in third in 6:27.34 and Wisconsin in fourth in a time of 6:28.79. The Gophers' First Varsity Four competed in the Grand Final today and also placed fifth overall. Minnesota added a time of 7:34.35, while Virginia won the race in a time of 7: 22.00. Minnesota's Second Varsity Eight competed in the Petite Final and won the event in a time of 6:41.90. Minnesota's boat cruised to a win over Tennessee (6:42.84) and Louisville (6:50.82).
Players Mentioned
