Iowa to Race at Notre Dame Regatta

Oct. 29, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team will travel to South Bend, IN Sunday to race in the Notre Dame Regatta. The Hawkeyes will race against Notre Dame, Indiana and Michigan State.

THE RACE: In Sunday’s regatta, hosted by the University of Notre Dame, rowers will race down a stretch of the St. Joseph River. The schedule of events has not yet be finalized.

LAST EVENT: The University of Iowa’s rowing team hosted the Head of Iowa Sunday. The Hawkeyes last hosted the event in 2006. It also was the first time the team was able to row at their new P. Sue Beckwith, M.D. Boathouse. The team had a great home crowd cheering them on as they faced Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Kansas State along with other schools.

Iowa started off strong in its first race of the day, claiming first, third and eighth in the women’s collegiate 8’s. Iowa’s first varsity 8 won the event with a time of 12:10.921, with its second varsity 8 coming in second at 12:29.42. The eighth place finishing team for Iowa came in with a time of 12:58.962. The women’s Novice 8 won their event with a time of 13:13.222, which was faster than five boats in the Varsity 8.

Iowa wrapped up their competition in the women’s collegiate 4’s with a winning time of 13:16.808. Members of the first place boat included, Sheila Rinozzi, Emily Katalinich, Megan Erickson, Jessica Novack and Haylie Miller. The Hawkeyes also grabbed a fifth and sixth place finish in the race.

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 are very happy that Martin Stone, Head Coach at Notre Dame, offered to host this event after the cancelation of the Southland Regatta” said Head Coach Mandi Kowal. “Our entire team is looking forward to racing in South Bend for the first time. After a few tweaks to lineups and equipment we have had very successful practices in preparation for the upcoming race. We look forward to ending on a positive note.”