April 29, 2014
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REGATTA SUMMARY: The University of Iowa women’s rowing team will go head-to-head with the Tennessee Lady Vols on Saturday, May 3 at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The first event will start at 9 a.m. (CT).
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow along with the regatta through live results at utsports.com/rowing.
QUOTING COACH CARTER: “Tennessee should provide an incredibly challenging test for our crews. They’re traditionally a very good program and some of the cross-over racing from our weekend in Clemson showed that racing could be very tight. This is the last racing we have prior to the Big Ten Championship so it’s the last opportunity to work out some details in the competitive arena.
Melton Lake in Oak Ridge is always an excellent race course and a favorite for both rowers and coaches. We’re really quite fortunate to have the opportunity to compete there, and I expect we’ll have conditions that will enable both programs to have some of their best racing.”
HAWKEYES RECEIVE VOTES: The Hawkeyes are receiving votes (2) for the second week in a row in the CRCA/USRowing Coaches Poll. Four Big Ten teams — Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana — are currently ranked in the top 20. Defending NCAA Champion Ohio State is ranked third nationally, while Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin are ranked seventh, 13th, and 15th, respectively. Other Big Ten teams receiving votes include: Michigan State (39), Minnesota (3), and Iowa (2).
HAWKEYES WIN TWO: The Hawkeyes competed in the Clemson Invitational, April 19-20 in Clemson, S.C.
The Hawkeye 1V4+ and 2V4+ boats finished the weekend with back-to-back first place finishes in times of 8:01.40 and 8:05.40, respectively. The 1V4+ boat beat Duke by six seconds (8:07.60) and the 2V4+ boat defeated Michigan State by four seconds (8:09.80). The Hawkeyes had another top-three finish as they placed third in the 2V8+ race in 7:10.80, four seconds ahead of Oklahoma (7:14.80). Louisville finished first in 7:04.40, while Dartmouth took second in 7:10.50, barely edging out the Hawkeyes.
Iowa upset No. 12 Washington State (8:07.50) by a second in the 3V8+ race as they finished fifth in 8:06.60 and beat Texas by seven seconds (8:13.10). The Hawkeyes concluded the invite with a fifth place finish in the 1V4+ race in 8:41.30 ahead of No. 20 Indiana (8:51.00) and Dartmouth (8:55.70).
A STRONG START: In their season-opening regatta at Clemson on March 22, the Hawkeyes finished ahead of then-ranked No. 20 Duke in two of three NCAA events. The Iowa 2V8+ boat finished runner-up with a time of 6:56.42 after being edged out by No. 18 Clemson (6.56.00) by less than one second.
The 1V4+ event was also a tight race. The Tigers won the event (7:37.80) and the Hawkeyes finished second (7.38.70). Iowa also placed second in the 1N/3V8+ with a time of 7:18.02 and third in the 1V8+ race with a 6:55.18 effort in its season-opener.
COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST: The Hawkeyes have competed against numerous ranked opponents this season including No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Washington, No. 6 USC, No. 10 UCLA, No. 13 Harvard, No. 14 Washington State, No. 15 Wisconsin, No. 17 Louisville, No. 18 Clemson, No. 18 Syracuse, and No. 20 Duke.
Iowa’s 2V4+ boat defeated both Clemson and Duke on March 22 at Clemson. The Hawkeyes also upset Washington State in the 3V8+ race at the Clemson Invite on April 19.
CREW CLASSIC RECAP: The Hawkeyes competed at the 41st annual San Diego Crew Classic, April 5-6. On Saturday, Iowa’s 1V4+ boat posted a season-best time of 7:35.63 as it placed third in Group B of its respective race.
The Hawkeye’s 2V8+ boat also recorded a season-best time as they finished third in their race in 6:50.56. In Group B of the Women’s Collegiate Cal. Cup, the Hawkeye’s 1V8+ boat took the runner-up spot with a time of 7:02.40.
On Sunday, Iowa’s 2V8+ boat showed a strong performance, finishing runner-up in the 2V8+ petite finals (6:53.38).
2V4+ EARNS WEEKLY HONOR: Iowa’s 2V4+ boat was honored as the Big Ten Boat of the Week on March 25 after winning is race at Clemson. Junior Rachel Crosley, freshman Kasia Gniatczyk, freshman Bec Clayton, sophomore Skylar McSorley and sophomore coxswain Rachel Chambers competed for Iowa in the 2V4+ boat. The group placed first with a 7:40.600 effort, beating runner-up Kansas by nearly 12 seconds (7:52.500). Duke (7:56.570), Clemson A (7:57.660) and Clemson B (8:39.440) rounded out the event placing third, fourth and fifth, respectively. It is Iowa’s first Big Ten Boat of the Week honor since April 15, 2008.
WATSON FEATURED: Junior Gabrielle Watson has been featured as one of 24 Hawkeyes to Watch. The feature highlights one student-athlete from each of the 24 intercollegiate sports at the University of Iowa. Fans can read student-athlete’s stories and watch their interviews at hawkeyesports.com.
NEW HAWKEYE IN CHARGE: Andrew Carter was named the third head coach of the University of Iowa rowing program in July 2013. This season marks his 12th year overall as a collegiate rowing coach. He previously spent time at the University of Miami (2009-13), Clemson University (2008-09), Bathes College in Lewiston, Maine (2000-08), University of Southern California (1999-00), and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (1996-99).
During his career, Carter has earned more than 50 championship medals, and over the last 12 years, he has coached seven All-Americans and 24 National Scholar-Athletes. He turned Miami into a nationally-ranked program, and led Clemson to its first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference title and NCAA Championship appearance. Carter is a U.S. Rowing Level III Coach and a Rowing Canada Aviron Level IV Coach, as well as a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Master Instructor and Master Coach Evaluator.
Carter earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology-biomechanics from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a master’s degree in kinesiology-biomechanics from the University of Western Ontario. He resides in Iowa City with his wife, Kim, and son, Mason.
UP NEXT: The 2014 Big Ten Championships will be held at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 19. Races will begin at 8 a.m. (CT) and will be a seven-lane, finals-only regatta.
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2013 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: Iowa placed sixth at last year’s championships with 54 team points. Ohio State claimed the team title with 160 points, followed by Michigan (135), Wisconsin (134), Michigan State (85), Minnesota (72), Iowa, and Indiana (28).
Iowa’s 3V4+ boat finished third with a time of 8:03.577, while the 2V4+ boat placed fourth with a time of 7:52.281. The 1V4+ boat took fifth in a time of 7:45.958.
For more information about the Big Ten Championships, visit www.bigten.org.