Oct. 6, 2009
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team will return to action Sunday as it travels to Rockford, IL, for the Head of the Rock. Races will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m.
THE RACE: In Sunday’s regatta, hosted by the YMCA of the Rock River Valley, rowers will race down the Rock River’s 2.75- mile stretch starting at Martin Park and ending at the YMCA Log Lodge. The Hawkeyes will place competitors in the Women’s Open Pairs, Collegiate Women’s 4’s and Collegiate Women’s 8’s.
LAST EVENT: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team opened the 2009 fall season on a positive note at the Head of the Des Moines Saturday. The team competed against Kansas State, St. Thomas, Nebraska, Creighton, Wheaton and St. Vin/Johns.The Hawkeyes captured first place in each of their three events of the day, and also placed numerous boats in the top five.
Iowa started strong in its first race of the day, claiming the top two spots in the women’s collegiate 8’s. Iowa’s first varsity 8 won the event with a time of 16:03.0, with its second varsity 8 coming in second at 16:37.0 The Hawkeyes continued its successful run in the collegiate pair event, taking the top eight times on the day. Iowa’s Emily Katalinich and Megan Erickson brought home Iowa’s second winning time of 19:57.0.
Iowa wrapped up the event in the women’s collegiate 4’s with a winning time of 18:21.0. Members of the first place boat included Haylie Miller, Christine Allingham, Emily Katalinich, Megan Erickson and Sheila Rinozzi. The Hawkeye’s also grabbed a second, fourth and fifth 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 ergometer 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 have spent the last two weeks preparing for our upcoming competition and addressing some limiting factors that we saw at the Des Moines,” said Head Coach Mandi Kowal. “In addition, we have a few more athletes ready to race which will enable us to bring a larger team to race. That will be important as we face a stronger field on Sunday.”