University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set to Compete at Big Tens
5/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
GOPHERS HEAD TO BIG TENS
The University of Minnesota rowing team heads to the Big Ten Championships, May 2 in Columbus, Ohio. Racing at the Griggs Reservoir on the Scioto River, Minnesota will have six boats competing (1V8, 2V8, 1V4, 2V4, 1N8 and 2N8). Heats begin at 8 a.m., while the afternoon session begins at noon. Minnesota will race in the afternoon based off the team’s morning heat performance as each group advances to either the Grand or Petite Finals.
SCHEDULE
2nd Novice Eight Heat 1/2 8 a.m., 8:15 a.m.
Petite Final Noon
Grand Final 12:15 p.m.
1st Novice Eight Heat 1/2 8:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m.
Petite Final 12:30 p.m.
Grand Final 12:45 p.m.
2nd Varsity Four Heat 1/2 9 a.m., 9:15 a.m.
Petite Final 1 p.m.
Grand Final 1:15 p.m.
1st Varsity Four Heat 1/2 9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m.
Petite Final 1:30 p.m.
Grand Final 1:45 p.m.
2nd Varsity Eight Heat 1/2 10 a.m., 10:15 a.m.
Petite Final 2 p.m.
Grand Final 2:15 p.m.
1st Varsity Eight Heat 1/2 10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m.
Petite Final 2:30 p.m.
Grand Final 2:45 p.m.
Gopher heats in bold
BIG TEN POINT SYSTEM
The Big Ten Championship is based on a point system. Each team will earn points by their placing in an event. The First Varsity Eight will receive the most points. The winner of the 1V8 race will earn 63 points, followed by the second-place team with 54 points. The full breakdown of points is listed below:
Event Points (From first to last)
1st Varsity Eight 63, 54, 45, 36, 27, 18, 9
2nd Varsity Eight 42, 36, 30, 24, 18, 12, 6
1st Varsity Four 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3
2nd Varsity Four 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
1st Novice Eight 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
2nd Novice Eight 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
BIG TEN AND THE RANKINGS
Arguably, one of the strongest conferences this season is the Big Ten Conference with six teams ranked in the latest CRCA poll. Michigan State leads the Big Ten with a third-place rank, followed closely by Michigan (fifth), No. 8 Ohio State, No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 17 Iowa and No. 20 Minnesota.
GOPHER SEEDINGS
The University of Minnesota will have a tough battle throughout the championships, including in the First Varsity Eight. Minnesota was seeded sixth overall and will face No. 3 Michigan State and No. 5 Michigan. Also in the Gophers’ heat will be Indiana, a team Minnesota beat earlier this year at the double duals. Minnesota is seeded seventh in the 2V8, fifth in the 1V4, sixth in the 1N8, seventh in the 2N8 and sixth in the 2V4.
SENIOR STYLE
Minnesota has 11 seniors graduating from this year’s team, including six from the First Varsity Eight. All 11 will be competing at Big Tens in Stephanie Bakkum, Emily Baxter, Tina Cho, Erin Desmond, Ali Fisher, captain Emily Johnson, Katie Johnson, Lucy Mulvey, Erica Niemiec, Lisa Pugh and Ashley Vilmo.
VARSITY PROJECTED LINEUPS
As Minnesota gears up for the Big Ten Championship, the Gophers will keep a majority of their lineups the same as in the dual against Kansas. Minnesota’s 1V8 of coxswain Lisa Pugh at stroke, Katherine Johnson, Ashlee Vilmo, Stephanie Bakkum, Lucy Mulvey, Jenna Schuder, Sarah Graham and Cassie Drozynski at bow have been together since the start of the second semester, with coxswain Erica Niemiec joined the group at the double duals. In the Gophers’ Second Varsity Eight is coxswain Ilana Ostrin, Emily Baxter, Rebekah Brzozowski, Allison Fisher, Tina Cho, Krsytal Arbery, Debbie Brzozowski, Sarah Krueger and Molly Kalmoe at bow. In the First Varsity Four: Monika Folker (coxswain), Emily Johnson Teresa Logemann, Tracy Merth and Kate Ladell at bow. In the Second Varsity Four is coxswain Linnea Trandem, Megan Lenarz, Alyssa Kast, Michelle Murphy and Christine Cira at bow.
NOVICE EIGHTS
Minnesota’s First Novice Eight includes one experienced rowers and seven walk-ons. Of the eight, three have been invited to the 2009 USRowing National Team Freshmen ID Camp in Erika Berg, Allison Fast and Emma Porter. Competing in the Gophers’ 1N8 is Quinn Anderson at stroke, Courtney Podritz, Caitlin Boon, Berg, Fast, Porter, Kristin Anderson, Grace Lorig at bow with Stephanie Shodis coxswaining. In the Second Novice Eight is coxswain Sara Baldvins, Madeline Etrheim at stroke, Tori Lund, Maddy Bourgeois, Leah Rogotzke, Yasmin Khan, Hannah Okray, Laura Salzman and Aileen Flynn at bow. In their first-ever 2k race, the 2N8 won their event at the San Diego Crew Classic and became the program’s first to medal at the Crew Classic.
GOPHERS' SCHEDULE
Minnesota has seen limited action this spring, but since the middle of April has seen consistent competition. The Gophers started the spring season with a win over Tennessee in Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four races. After their dual against Iowa was canceled, the Gophers competed at the Double Duals against Brown, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Indiana and won four races. The Gophers then traveled to California to compete against Cal, Stanford, Texas, UCLA and Tennessee. Minnesota’s only home competition was last weekend when it hosted Kansas at Lake Phalen.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP ON BTN
The Big Ten Network will broadcast the rowing championships on Sunday, May 17th at 3p.m. (ET), 2 p.m. Central. The 2009 season marks the second season of the Big Ten Network, broadcasting all conference championships and a variety of Big Ten sports.
BOAT OF THE WEEK HONORS
The Big Ten Conference has announced that University of Minnesota’s First Varsity Eight has been named the Big Ten Boat of the Week for its accomplishments last weekend. It was the second honor this season and 12th in school history. Minnesota’s 1V8 of Lisa Pugh at stroke, Katherine Johnson, Ashlee Vilmo, Stephanie Bakkum, Lucy Mulvey, Jenna Schuder, Sarah Graham, Cassie Drozynski at bow and Erica Niemiec as the coxswain, earned a dominate win over Kansas University last Saturday in St. Paul, Minn. On Minnesota’s home course of Lake Phalen, the Golden Gophers held a 19-second win over the Jayhawks. The Gophers, ranked 20th in the nation, held a time of 6:20.2 to Kansas’ finishing time of 6:36.9.
Earlier in the year, the Gophers earned their first weekly honor when they defeated Tennessee in March. The Gopher Varsity Eight of Pugh at stroke, Johnson, Vilmo, Bakkum, Mulvey, Schuder, Graham, Drozynski and coxswain Ilana Ostrin won the event in a time of 6:35.00 to Tennessee’s time of 6:38.65. It was the first time the Gophers had competed since November 2 when they raced in the Southland Regatta in Illinois.
2008 BIG TEN RECAP
Minnesota finished fourth overall at the 2008 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Golden Gophers earned 104 points, but Michigan State was the champion with 150 points, followed by Wisconsin with 114 points and Ohio State (112). Host Michigan followed the Gophers with 90 points, Iowa in sixth (40) and Indiana in last with 31 points. Two of Minnesota's First Varsity Eight members were All-Big Ten selections. Coxswain Megan Flannery was named to the First Team All-Big Ten, while Jenny Barnes was named second-team All-Big Ten. Captain MaryAnn Weinzierl was named Minnesota's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. The Gophers, who graduated 14 rowers from last year's Big Ten championship team, advanced all six boats to the Grand Finals this year.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota is idle next week, but returns to action May 16-17 when the Gophers participate at the Aramark South/Central Sprints in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Gophers will face some of the best teams from the Big Ten, central and south regions.
Players Mentioned
