Hawkeyes Head To Big Ten Championships

Hawkeyes Head To Big Ten Championships

April 28, 2008

IOWA CITY-

THIS WEEK: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team travels to Ann Arbor, MI, for the 2008 Big Ten Championships.

RANKINGS: Four of the seven Big Ten teams are ranked among the top 20 Division I Varsity Eights. Michigan State (sixth), Michigan (ninth), Ohio State (13th) and Minnesota (16th) are scattered throughotu the recent poll from the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association/ USRowing.

LAST BIG TENS: The Hawkeyes traveled to Madison, WI, and placed sixth in the 2007 Big Ten Championships on Lake Wingra. The N8+ boat earned the bronze medal, finishing behind Minnesota and Wisonsin with a time of 6:36.9. Iowa won in the V8+ petite final, finishing over Indiana. Crews dealt with strong cross tailwinds throughout the day.

LAST TIME OUT: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team took home four first place finishes in the Big Ten Challenge against host Ohio State, Indiana and Wisconsin. In the morning session, Iowa started off strong in the V8+, placing first over Indiana (6:59.0) in a time of 6:54.9. Iowa finished on top two more times over Indiana, in the V4+ and the N8+. Harsh winds and rains picked up in the afternoon session, but the Hawkeyes persevered in the N8+ once again finishing over Ohio State 7:49.5 to 7:53.2.

HEAD COACH: Mandi Kowal is in her 14th year as head coach of the Hawkeyes. In the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Rowing Championships, she coached the Varsity 4+ teams to fourth and eighth-places finishes, respectively. Kowal began her rowing career at the University of Wisconsin in 1981. She was a two-time rowing World Champion in the Women’s Lightweight 4- (1986-1987). She was named Female Athlete of the Year in 1987 by the US Rowing Association and was inducted into the United States Rowing Hall of Fame in 1997.

QUOTING COACH KOWAL: “Every Big Ten student-athlete looks forward to their championship race, it will be no different for our team. They are excited to head to Michigan and race our Big Ten opponents in one of the most competitive races in the country.”

QUOTING NOVICE COACH RODOSKY: “I am very excited to get to Michigan and race all the Big Ten schools. I know our athletes have been working all year for this set of races and they are ready. We have had to work through some pretty tough rowing conditions as of the last week or so, but I think it only prepared us even more for Big Tens. It has also proven to me what our athletes are made of and how well prepared they really are.”

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