University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Head of the Rock
Gophers Solid at Head of the Rock
10/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
The University of Minnesota rowing team faced its first NCAA Division I competition of the season Sunday at the Head of the Rock regatta in Rockford, Ill., and head coach Wendy Davis' Golden Gophers had a solid showing at the event.
Minnesota had a pair of entries in the Women's Collegiate 2-, which was the first event of the day for the Gophers. The boat of Lisa Weeks and McKenzie Lukacs was the top finisher for the Maroon and Gold, placing 13 th with a time of 19:28.352. The boat of Jessica Flakne and Tabitha Andelin followed right behind with a 14 th-place showing in 19:39.270.
In the Women's Collegiate 4+, Minnesota's A boat of coxswain Armonia Balch, Madison Koch, Lynn Hodnett, Rebecca Braak and Lisa Weeks narrowly edged out Wisconsin's A boat by less than two seconds to claim second-place honors. The Badgers' C boat finished first with a time of 18:14.301, just 0:04.970 seconds ahead of the Gophers' time of 18:19.271. Minnesota's B boat placed sixth in 18:46.576.
Against its first career NCAA Division I competition, Minnesota's novice 8+ boat of Audrey San Diego, Vanessa Johnston, Mary Fischer, Kortney Luedloff, Kristina Swanson, Allison Sterneman, Kate Vondrak, Dani Janczek and Emily Engelbrecht-Wiggans finished fifth in the 15-boat field with a time of 19:38.208.
In the Women's Collegiate 8+, Minnesota's A boat of coxswain Taylor Gainey, Koch, Weeks, Braak, Hodnett, Sara Scarbro, Kylie Andersen, Flakne and Tabitha Andelin posted a third-place finish in 16:23.882. Wisconsin claimed first and second-place honors with times of 15:50.971 and 16:15.261 by its A and C boats, respectively. The Gophers' B boat finished sixth in 16:42.471 and their C boat finished eighth in 17:14.801.
Minnesota now sets its sights on next weekend's trip to Boston for the Head of the Charles regatta, one of the world's largest rowing events, which takes place Oct. 19.
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