April 22, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Iowa women’s rowing team posted four victories over Alabama on Saturday afternoon in the Varsity 8, 2nd Varsity 8, Varsity 4 and Novice 8. The Hawkeyes raced the Crimson Tide down a 2,000-meter course on the Black Warrior River.
The crews raced against a slight current and a variable cross/crosshead wind at about 4 to 10 mph for each race. Iowa’s Novice 8 crew posted the first victory of the day. The boat finished ahead of Alabama (7:30.6) by nearly 22 seconds with a time of 7:08.7.
“We had a good weekend of racing,” said Head Coach Mandi Kowal. “Our crews did a nice job of executing what we talked about before the race. As a result, three of our crews posted the fastest times of the year.”
One of the closest races during the dual was the 2nd Varsity 8 contest. The Hawkeyes posted their second victory against the Crimson in the event by crossing the finish first at time of 6:54.8. Alabama finished in a time of 7:01.2.
Following the 2nd Varsity 8’s win, the Varsity 4 crew posted a winning time of 7:48.9 over Alabama (8:05.7).
Iowa’s only loss of the day was the 2nd Varsity 4. Iowa raced in a time of 8:10.0, but was defeated by Alabama who posted a faster time of 8:03.1.
The Hawkeyes wrapped up competition against the Crimson Tide with their fourth first place finish. The team’s fourth and final victory came in the Varsity 8. Iowa finished ahead of Alabama (6:49.4) by nearly 11 seconds with a time of 6:38.0
Iowa returns to action on April 28 when it travels to Indianapolis to take on Rutgers, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Syracuse. It’s the Hawkeyes last competition before the Big Ten Championships on May 13.