Wisconsin Days From NCAA Rowing Championships
May 25, 2005 | Women's Rowing
Wisconsin hopes to collect its highest finish in school history when the 2005 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships get underway Friday at CSUS Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, Calif. The Badgers are one of 12 teams selected to the field that will compete Friday through Sunday.
The 12 teams will compete with a varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four. In addition, four schools will send only their varsity eight.
Ranked No. 1 heading into the championship is the only undefeated varsity eight in the field, California. The Bears entered with the same mark last year, but had its varsity eight place sixth. Brown enters the weekend as the defending national champions. After taking only fourth at the Eastern Sprints two weeks before the 2004 event, Brown shocked everyone and won the varsity eight and second varsity eight to capture the overall title.
The Badgers are making their second-straight appearance and third appearance, overall, since the sport became sanctioned by the NCAA in 1997. Wisconsin placed 10th in 1999 during its debut and were 11th in 2004. The UW varsity eight placed 16th last year and 13th in 1999.
No. 11 Wisconsin was selected to the 2005 NCAA Rowing Championship at CSUS Aquatic Center in Rancho Cordova, Calif. In all, 12 teams will send their varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four to the event. In addition, four at-large varsity eights will also race.
Among the teams selected to the championships were four Big Ten schools. In addition to Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will send contingents. The Badgers beat both Michigan and Michigan State when the point totals for the three NCAA boats at the NCAA Central-South Regional. Wisconsin also met five of the remaining 12 varsity eights during the season. The Badgers raced California, Washington and Stanford at the season-opening Windermere Collegiate Crew Classic back on April 9-10, falling to all three varsity eights. However, the Badgers won races against Stanford and Washington in the second varsity eight. Wisconsin also faced Virginia and Tennessee at the NCAA Central-South Regional. The UW's varsity eight fell to both schools at the event.
Wisconsin opens its 2005 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships in the first race of the event on Friday. Wisconsin's varsity eight races in the first heat of the day at 10 a.m. CT. The Badgers are matched with No. 2 Yale, Tennessee, Virginia, USC and Brown in the heat. The top three finishers advance to the semifinals, while the remaining boats race again at 6 p.m. CT in the repechage for a last chance to advance. At 12:15 p.m. CT, Wisconsin's second varsity eight faces Ohio State, California, Michigan, Harvard and USC, while at 1:15 p.m. CT, the UW varsity four battles USC, Washington, Ohio State, Michigan State and California in first-round action. The heat winners in the second varsity eight and varsity four advance to the grand final, while the rest drop into Saturday repechages for a chance to reach the grand final.
Wisconsin's boats have been improving all season. The varsity eight dropped its first five races of the season against California, Stanford, Washington, Michigan and Michigan State. They finished behind Ohio State, and closed the gap on Michigan and Michigan State at the 2005 Big Ten Championships, but then edged ahead of Michigan and Michigan State in the most recent NCAA Central-South Regional.
It appears the UW has finished playing with its varsity eight lineup as the same nine Badgers are expected to race in the boat at the NCAA championships. Coxswain Meg Bradshaw, Lindsay Bush, Nikki Lennart, Bryana Seifert, Jenny Tuffree, Julie Quoss, Kari Harmon, Shannon Gedman and Colleen Gosa will make up the crew. Bradshaw, Lennart and Gedman were 2005 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association First-Team All-Central Region picks, while Tuffree and Quoss were second-team picks.
The Badgers, a young team last year, are more experienced with five seniors in the varsity eight to go along with four juniors. Five of the nine second varsity eight members are seniors and juniors, while four of the five members of the varsity eight are upperclassmen, as well. The UW should know what to expect this time around.
For more information on the championships, visit: http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/wcrew/championship/. Real-time results of the championships will be available at http://www.jamcotimes.com/2005/ncaaw/index.htm.
