April 18, 2012
THIS WEEK: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team will travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday to take on the University of Alabama. The event is sponsored by Alabama Outdoors. Crews will race in the varsity 8’s, varsity 4’s, and novice 8’s.
THE RACE: The competition will take place on the Black Warrior River and is set to begin at 12 p.m. (CT).
Alabama is said to have one of the best competitive courses in the nation. The river has high banks, low, protected straightaways, and minimal current, which makes it a rower’s dream.
QUOTING COACH KOWAL: “We are looking forward to getting another race under our belts. We had one weekend off, which can seem like an eternity, but we are ready to go!”
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES: Become fans of the official Iowa rowing page by going to http://on.fb.me/ySA6K6 to follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook. Fans can also follow the black and gold on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/iowarowing.
LAST EVENT: Iowa hosted Louisville, Michigan and Michigan State on April 7 on Lake MacBride. The Hawkeyes faced Michigan in the morning and Michigan State during the afternoon. Iowa fell to Michigan 43-26, and Michigan State, 45-24. Michigan is ranked second in the latest CRCA/U.S. Rowing Coaches poll, while Michigan State is 15th.
The Hawkeyes recorded three victories during the competition. Iowa’s 2nd novice 8 crew crossed the finish line first with a time of 7:32.1, while Michigan finished with a time of 7:59.0. The novice 8 crew claimed Iowa’s second victory. Iowa pulled ahead by two boat seats in the most exciting race of the morning to finish first with a time of 7:19.1. Michigan came in at 7:19.9. The Hawkeyes third victory was over Michigan State in the 2nd novice 8. The crew recorded a time of 7:50.2, while Michigan State finished at 8:08.4.
HOME OF THE HAWKEYES: The P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., Boathouse was dedicated September 18, 2009. The state of the art facility is located within the city of Iowa City’s Terrell Mill Park, next to the Iowa River.
HEAD COACH: Mandi Kowal is in her 18th 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 U.S. Rowing Association and was inducted into the United States Rowing Hall of Fame in 1997.