Hawkeyes to Race at San Diego Classic

March 31, 2011

Complete Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK: Iowa will compete at the 38th annual San Diego Classic Saturday and Sunday. The Hawkeyes will be racing in the varsity 8’s, varsity 4’s, and varsity pairs.

THE RACE: The competition will take place on the sun-kissed water of Mission Bay at Crown Point Shores in San Diego, Calif. The boats will start near Sea World with the course running north along Mission Bay for 2000 meters, finishing at Crown Points Shores Park. Races will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. (CT) both Saturday and Sunday.

There are approximately 4,000 athletes from over 100 clubs, universities and colleges from across the United States, Canada and Mexico participating in this premier rowing event.

LIVE RESULTS: Live results will be available throughout the competition via twitter.com/crewclassic

LAST EVENT: The University of Iowa’s rowing team last competed at the Longhorn Invitational in Austin, Texas hosted by the University of Texas. It was the Iowa’s first competition of the 2011 spring season. The Hawkeyes competed in the Varsity 4’s, Novice 8’s and Varsity 8’s. The Hawkeyes raced against 20th ranked Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas State.

The Hawkeyes won all four events against Kansas State. Iowa captured one win against Oklahoma in the 2V8 boat with a time of 7:29.9. Texas went undefeated against all opponents at the invitational but it was good racing experience for the Hawkeyes to compete against such a strong team.

HOME OF THE HAWKEYES: The P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., Boathouse was dedicated September 18, 2009. The 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.