Oct. 8, 2008
THIS WEEK: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team will open its fall season Sunday as it travels to Rockford, IL, for the Head of the Rock. Races will begin at approximately 8:45 a.m.
THE RACE: In Sunday’s regatta, hosted by YMCA of the Rock River Valley, rowers will race through a 2.75 mile course down the Rock River. The Hawkeyes will place competitors in the V2-, V4+ and V8+ events.
2007 HEAD OF THE ROCK: Iowa competed in three different events at last year’s race, including the varsity twos, fours and eights. With two boats in both the twos and fours, the Hawkeyes had two top 10 finishes in both events, placing fourth and sixth in the eights and fourth and fifth in the fours. Additionally, Iowa placed five boats in the twos with finishes of second and 10th.
HEAD COACH: Mandi Kowal is in her 15th 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: “We have a great opportunity this weekend to work on our racing approach and attack. It’s very early in the season with a tremendous amount of work in front of us. This weekend will provide us with valuable information towards getting faster as a team and program, all of which are key components to our success in the spring.”