24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — May 2017 | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Day 2 Results
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — The University of Iowa women’s rowing team competed in the semi-finals on Saturday during day two of the NCAA Championships.
In the first race of the day for the Hawkeyes, the I Varsity 8 crew got off to a strong start, establishing an early half-length lead that they stretched throughout the race. The wire-to-wire performance didn’t come without challenges from strong crews from Notre Dame and Central Florida. The Hawks were able to counter each surge and at the line they crossed 2.6 seconds ahead of the runner-up Irish with UCF another 2.1 seconds back. The win advances the 1V to the C final Sunday where they’ll contest places 13-18 in the nation.
Following the lead of the 1V8+, the II Varsity 8 also got off to a strong start, gaining an early advantage on the field that they stretched to three-quarters of the length over Northeastern by the 500m mark. It was Washington State that mounted an impressive attack in the third 500m, enabling the Cougars to slip by the Hawks and lead the filed entering the final quarter of the race. The Hawks surged back at WSU in the closing stages but a furious finish from a late-charging Northeastern crew pushed Iowa back into a close third-place positon at the line. The top-three finish advances the 2V to the C final Sunday.
The I Varsity 4 crew drew top competition in their A/B Semi-Final with #1-seeded Washington, 3rd-seeded Michigan, and 5th-seeded Yale showcasing the lineup. The Hawks stuck to the race plan that brought them success in Friday’s repechage and stormed off the line with the leaders to be in the hunt at the 500m mark. The power of Washington took over as the race progressed into the second quarter with Michigan giving the best chase. Iowa continued to cling to Yale and Princeton as they battled for the coveted third-place positon that would advance them to the A-Final but the fight took its toll and by the midway point the Tigers and Bulldogs began to pull away from Iowa who maintained a healthy lead on Syracuse. At the finish, Iowa crossed in fifth position to advance to the B-Final to contest spots 7-12 on Sunday.
“I like how our crews raced today,” said Head Coach, Andrew Carter. “They all got out of the blocks in good form and challenged themselves and their competitors over the entire 2000m. This level of competition demands that and they rose to the occasion. I think each crew has terrific competition slated for the finals and racing as they did today does a lot to prepare them for tomorrow.”
The II Varsity Eight crew starts off the day for the Hawkeyes on Sunday with a 7:48 a.m. (CT) start.
Lineups
I Varisty Eight
Eve Stewart, Kaelynn Heiberg, Izzy Dolba, Victoria Bricker, Morgan Grastorf, Kat Tillman, Ashley Duda, Cristy Hartman, Georgia Sanderson (coxswain)
II Varsity Eight
Baillie McCunn, Dani Bender, Hannah Greenlee, Gemma Kerr, Contessa Harold, Megan Sprengeler, Sarah Powell, Rachel Canon, Faith Wieland (coxswain)
I Four
Ashlynn Bauer, Bianca DiBellonia, Claire Rutherford, Katie Pearson, Logan Jones (coxswain)
