Women's Rowers Gain NCAA Bid
May 20, 2008 | Women's Rowing
The Wisconsin women's openweight team was selected for a bid to the 2008 NCAA Rowing Championships, the NCAA announced on Tuesday via NCAA.com ( id=364"> --> watch the archived selection show here. ). The event runs May 30-June 1 in Sacramento, Calif.
The Badgers were selected as one of the 12-team field, joining defending-champion Brown, California, Harvard, Michigan State, Ohio State, Princeton, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Washington State and Yale.
"I went through and did all my math and tried to figure out who I thought was going to get in and there were a few things that were a little bit surprising, which makes your brain sort of zap out," said head coach Bebe Bryans. "The worst part though was when he started with 'B', which is fine, and then he starts talking about them, and showing video of them and we realized he was going to do that for everyone and we are 'W.' I used my yoga breathing. It was very exciting.
Four at-large varsity eights were also selected from Clemson, Michigan, USC and Stanford.
"It has been our goal since this day last year," said head coach Bebe Bryans. "We've been on a mission. We've had some obstacles thrown in our way by Mother Nature, but I think hard work and perserverence pay off, so I am really pleased. We are getting faster everyday, so I am really excited."
The Badgers will make their fifth appearance at the NCAA rowing championships. The championships were established in 1997. This year will mark the fourth trip to the event in five seasons for the UW and third in four years under head coach Bebe Bryans. The Badgers also qualified for the championships in 1999.
Wisconsin placed second at the 2008 Big Ten Rowing Championships on May 3, while also placing fourth at the 2008 NCAA Central/South Regional this past weekend. The team placed third among Central region teams.
Now the Badgers return to the water and continue practicing for the end-of-year event.
"We train our brains out, in a different way, though," added Bryans. "All the volume is done. All the work is done. Now it is just tuning. We haven't been on the water that long. Every day we can still get better. We are doing a lot of technical work and just trying to tune.
"The team was great this morning. It is funny. Usually on this morning, waiting for the announcement, they are not very focused and practice doesn't usually go very well and this morning's practice was awesome. I think that just shows they know how to get it done."
As for the NCAA championships, Wisconsin's best finish was an eighth-place result in 2006. Wisconsin's second varsity eight won the bronze medal and captured the UW's first medal at the championships.
Bryans concluded, "It is great to be in this boathouse right now and I am glad the openweights got to keep up their end of things."
