Iowa to Race in Front of Home Crowd

Oct. 20, 2009

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THIS WEEK: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team will race in front of its home crowd Sunday as it host’s the Head of the Iowa. Races will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m.

THE RACE: In Sunday’s regatta, hosted by the University of Iowa, rowers will race down a 2.5 mile stretch of the Iowa River. The Hawkeyes will place competitors in the women’s varsity 8’s, women’s varsity 4’s and women’s pairs.

LAST EVENT: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team traveled to its second regatta of the season at the Head of the Rock in Rockford, IL. The Hawkeyes had solid races against top teams, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and Purdue along with other schools. Iowa competed in the Collegiate 8’s, Collegiate pairs and Collegiate 4’s.

Iowa started strong in its first race of the day, claiming second place in the women’s collegiate 8’s. Iowa finished with a time of 15:24.8 which was only 00:07.1 seconds behind Wisconsin’s winning team. The Hawkeyes continued the competition with the collegiate pairs, placing five boats in the top 20. Iowa’s “A” team took sixth place with a time of 18:26.8.

Iowa wrapped up the event in the women’s collegiate 4’s . The “B” team of junior Emily Melvold, sophomore Samantha Terrill, Junior Darcy DeLong, sophomore Kaitlyn Caffrey and senior Katie Ouellette came in eighth with a time of 17:30.6.

New Home for the hawkeyes: The P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., Boathouse was dedicated September 18, 2009. The new state of the art facility for the Hawkeyes is located within the city of Iowa City’s Terrell Mill Park, next to the Iowa River.

It is an ideal site to fulfill all the needs of the rowing team. More efficient boat storage racks, an indoor rowing tank, and an erg room (for machine rowing) is incorporated in the building.

HEAD COACH: Mandi Kowal is in her 16th 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’re thrilled to be hosting the Head of the Iowa this year,” said Head Coach Mandi Kowal. “It will be a great chance for our team to row in front of many of our fans and supporters. Racing at home this weekend will be a first for our freshman, sophomores and juniors.”