Weekly Release #7

Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., May 13-14 -- at Central Region Championships (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
Fri-Sun., May 26-28 -- at NCAA Championships (Camden, N.J.)

This Week for Michigan
The eighth-ranked Michigan women's rowing team, the 2000 Big Ten Conference rowing champion, travels south to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Central Region Rowing Championships on Saturday and Sunday (May 13-14).

The Location
Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is the site of the weekend's regatta. Oak Ridge is located approximately 25 miles west of Knoxville, Tenn., with the lake just to the northeast of the town.

The Competition
The Wolverines are one of 18 entries in the Lexus Cup. In each of the three NCAA-scoring races (first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four), Michigan is the top seed. No. 9 Michigan State is seeded second and No. 13 Ohio State is seeded third in each event.

The Format
This year's regatta is spread out over two days. On Saturday (May 13), there will be heats from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and semifinals from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. Boats advancing to the petite and grande finals will race Sunday morning (May 14) from 9 to 10:50 a.m. The awards ceremony is slated for approximately 11:15 a.m.

The Impact
In addition to competing for the Lexus Cup, the Wolverines are looking to secure a bid to the NCAA Championships. While there are no automatic bids, at least one team from each of the four regions will be selected for the national championships, with the six remaining team entries selected at-large. Last year, four teams (Michigan, Michigan State, Virginia and Wisconsin) from the Central Region were selected to attend the 1999 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships.

The Forecast
The weather forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with highs in the mid- to upper-80s and lows around 62 degrees.

Last Year at the Central Region Championships
Last year at the regatta, Michigan swept the First Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and First Varsity Four races and won the Central Region Championships for the second consecutive year.

Michigan in the Polls
Michigan's crew is ranked ninth in the latest USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Poll (May 3). The University of Washington remains No. 1 , while Brown University, the defending national champion, is ranked second. The USRowing/CRCA poll is conducted weekly.

Probable Lineups

VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Belinda Koo Stroke Kate Johnson Seat 7 Angela Bierhuizen Seat 6 Kristine Johns Seat 5 Jaime Stilson Seat 4 Jen Kinon Seat 3 Sophie Roberge Seat 2 Melanie Duncan Bow Alison Hickey 2nd VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Helen Dalis Stroke Kate Maxim Seat 7 Sera Coppolino Seat 6 Liz Nelson Seat 5 Christine Meyer Seat 4 Jenny Bryant Seat 3 Julie Brescoll Seat 2 Laurel Donnell-Fink Bow Tamara McBratney VARSITY FOUR Coxswain Fazeela Siddiqui Stroke Rachel Brunelle Seat 3 Justin Goble Seat 2 Liz Glenn Bow Petra Juzwishin