Weekly Release #5
4/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
Saturday, May 1 -- at Big Ten Championships (East Lansing, Mich.)
Sat-Sun., May 18-19 -- at Central Region Championships (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
Complete Release in PDF (3 pages, 101 KB)
Michigan This Week
The third-ranked University of Michigan will look for its third consecutive title in as many years at the Big Ten Conference Women's Rowing Championships at 8 a.m. Saturday (May 4) on Lake Ovid in Sleepy Hollow State Park in East Lansing, Mich. No. 12 Michigan State, the host of the third annual conference championships, and five other teams -- No. 5 Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin -- make up the rest of the field. The Wolverines, who won five of six races against the Spartans earlier this season on Lake Ovid, have captured six of the nine individual boat titles in the two-year history of the championships.
Big Ten Championships Schedule
8:00 a.m. II Novice Eight, Heat 1 8:15 a.m. II Novice Eight, Heat 2 8:30 a.m. I Novice Eight, Heat 1 8:45 a.m. I Novice Eight, Heat 2 9:00 a.m. II Varsity Four, Heat 1 9:15 a.m. II Varsity Four, Heat 2 9:30 a.m. I Varsity Four, Heat 1 9:45 a.m. I Varsity Four, Heat 2 10:00 a.m. II Varsity Eight, Heat 1 10:15 a.m. II Varsity Eight, Heat 2 10:30 a.m. I Varsity Eight, Heat 1 10:45 a.m. I Varsity Eight, Heat 2 12:00 p.m. II Novice Eight, Petite Final 12:15 p.m. II Novice Eight, Grande Final 12:30 p.m. I Novice Eight, Petite Final 12:45 p.m. I Novice Eight, Grande Final 1:00 p.m. II Varsity Four, Petite Final 1:15 p.m. II Varsity Four, Grande Final 1:30 p.m. I Varsity Four, Petite Final 1:45 p.m. I Varsity Four, Grande Final 2:00 p.m. II Varsity Eight, Petite Final 2:15 p.m. II Varsity Eight, Grande Final 2:30 p.m. I Varsity Eight, Petite Final 2:45 p.m. I Varsity Eight, Grande Final
Live Results
Michigan State will update results on the Internet following each race at the championships. Go to mgoblue.com or msuspartans.com for a link to the live results.
The Forecast
The forecast calls for scattered showers and a high of around 65 degrees on Saturday (May 4). Should lightning approach the course, the championships will be moved to Sunday (May 5).
Last Year at the Big Ten Championships
Then-second-ranked Michigan defended its inaugural title by winning its second consecutive conference crown on April 28 at the 2001 Big Ten Women's Rowing Championships on Belleville Lake in Belleville, Mich. The rowers added to the program's record-breaking season by capturing four events and scoring 56 points to outlast second-place Ohio State, which finished with 43 points. The three NCAA-scoring boats (first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four) each won their morning heats and afternoon finals to extend season-long undefeated streaks.
The Championships Format
Each team at the Big Ten Championships will bring up to six boats to the regatta -- first varsity eight, second varsity eight, first varsity four, second varsity four, first novice eight and second novice eight. Boats will be ranked by the coaches (first varisty eight will use the latest USRowing poll) and placed in heats accordingly. Boats will advance out of the heats and the final placings will be determined in the grande (places 1-4) and petite (places 5-7) finals. Each boat in all six races will earn points to determine the team champion. Any ties in the final team standings are broken based on the finish of the teams' boats in the first varsity eight race.
Michigan Receives Three Top Seeds
Michigan has three boats -- first varsity eight, first varsity four and first novice eight -- seeded as the top boat in their respective races. The second varsity eight and second varsity four are both seeded second, while the second novice eight is seeded fifth.
Why are the Big Ten Championships a Week Later
The postseason for rowing is based upon the dates of the NCAA Championships. The national championships have traditionally taken place the last full weekend of May, with the final day of racing taking place on Memorial Day. The championships are a week later this year (May 31-June 2) due to a lack of hotel rooms and increased difficulty with travel because of the Indianapolis 500 automobile race on Sunday, May 26.
Starting the Postseason on a Good Note
Michigan has won six of the nine individual boat championships in the two-year history of the Big Ten Championships. The Wolverines swept the three NCAA-scoring events (first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four) and also won the first novice eight last year after capturing titles in the first varsity eight and second varsity eight in 2000. (The second varsity four and two novice races were non-scoring events in 2000.) Wisconsin captured the other three titles -- first varsity four in 2000 and second varsity four and second novice eight in 2001.
Time for a New Bunch to Lead
None of Michigan's Big Ten-record six all-conference selections from the previous two league championships are on this season's roster. Four of the six selections -- Kate Johnson (2000), Laurel Donnell-Fink (2001), Alison Hickey (2001) and Bernadette Marten (2001) -- graduated last year.
One Streak is Alive ...
Michigan's first varsity eight and second varsity eight boats have won all four of their races in two years of Big Ten Championships action. Each boat won its heat and grande final the last two years at the championships.
Another Streak is Over
Michigan's second varsity eight extended its winning streak to 14 races before finishing second to Ohio State by less than one second in the afternoon session of the Buckeye Invitational (April 13). The streak began at the first regatta last year and lasted the entire season, as the boat won all of its races in 2001 and won a national title at the NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ga. The streak continued in 2002 season with a victory at the ACC/Big Ten Double Dual (March 30), a win at No. 12 Michigan State (April 6) and a victory in the morning session of the Buckeye Invitational (April 13).
New Look Wolverines
For the first time in a several years, the Wolverines have a completely different look. Gone are eight seniors who were mainstays in the two varsity eight boats, including Kate Johnson (1998-2001), who stroked the first varsity eight for all but two races in the last four years, and Melanie Duncan (1998-2001), who stroked the second varsity eight to an undefeated season in 2001. This season, the Wolverines have unveiled varsity eight lineups with 11 of 16 rowers who were new to their boat. Among the five freshmen in the two varsity eight lineups this spring are Leah Ketcheson (Belleville, Ontario/Bayside) and Brett Sickler (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS), who have stroked the first and second varsity eight boats, respectively.
Academic Honors
The third-ranked Wolverines are hard at work on the water and in the classroom. At the U-M awards reception (April 9), 28 Michigan rowers received the U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award. Of the 23 athletes in the three NCAA boats (first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four), 11 received the distinction.
Michigan in the Polls
Michigan remained No. 3 for the second consecutive week in the latest USRowing/CRCA poll (April 24). Washington, the defending national champion, continues to hold the No. 1 spot and received 19 of 25 first-place votes this week. The NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Committee ranked the team, the first varsity eight and the first varsity four No. 1 and the second varsity eight No. 2 in the Central Region (April 16).
Looking Ahead
Following the Big Ten Championships, the Wolverines take a week off before competing in the Central Region Championships May 18-19 on Lake Melton in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The season concludes at the NCAA Championships May 31-June 2 on the Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis, Ind.
Head Coach Mark Rothstein
Mark Rothstein is in his sixth year as the head coach of the Michigan rowing team. Rothstein, the only head coach in the program's history, has led the program from its conservative beginning to a second-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Rowing Championships, including a national championship by the second varsity eight. Each of the last two years he has guided the team to Big Ten championships and has been named the Big Ten and Midwest Region Coach of the Year. For his outstanding efforts in the 2001 season, he was selected as the National Coach of the Year.
Probable Lineups
VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Helen Dalis Stroke Leah Ketcheson Seat 7 Tami McBratney Seat 6 Kate Maxim Seat 5 Heather Mandoli Seat 4 Erin Kopicki Seat 3 Sophie Roberge Seat 2 Katie Reynolds Bow Christina Meyer 2nd VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Tara Medina Stroke Brett Sickler Seat 7 Julie Brescoll Seat 6 Elizabeth Nelson Seat 5 Cristin McCarty Seat 4 Jenny Bryant Seat 3 Elizabeth Kreger Seat 2 Laura Drongowski Bow Crystal Culp VARSITY FOUR Coxswain Corrin Cunningham Stroke Angela Bierhuizen Seat 3 Emily Goodwin Seat 2 Christina Ceo Bow Emoke Bury 2nd VARSITY FOUR Coxswain Mary-Catherine Steer Stroke Kristin Rosella Seat 3 Stephanie Shapiro Seat 2 Pamela Woll Bow Amy Coughlin
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
