First Varsity Eight Completes Perfect Regular Season

Saturday, April 16

Belleville, Mich.

9:00 AM

Michigan

Iowa

4/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Rowing

Site: Belleville, Mich. (Belleville Lake)
Event: #2 Michigan vs. Iowa and #14 Wisconsin
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Apr. 30 -- at Big Ten Championships (Bloomington, Ind.)

BELLEVILLE, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's rowing team saw its first varsity eight finish the regular season with a perfect record of 7-0 following wins over both Iowa and No. 14 Wisconsin today (Saturday, April 16) on Belleville Lake. The second varsity eight earned a win over Iowa and lost to the Badgers, and the first varsity four took third place and second place in two three-way races with Wisconsin and Michigan State.

U-M's first varsity eight beat four top-10 teams en route to a 7-0 spring record.

In the morning, the U-M first varsity eight had an efficient race as it got off to a good start against the Hawkeyes and continued to stretch its lead for the duration of the course. Iowa closed in the final 500 meters but Michigan won by 2.2 seconds in 6:34.9. The second varsity eight easily won with a time of 6:45.2, 10.4 seconds in front of the Hawkeyes. The first varsity four race was a dead heat between UW, MSU and U-M. In the end, the Badgers took first in 7:11.2, the Spartans were second in 7:12.9 and the Wolverines finished third in 7:13.9. The second varsity four earned an open-water victory against the likes of Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Michigan's first novice eight garnered a win over Iowa, and the second novice eight finished second behind MSU and ahead of Wisconsin. In the novice four race U-M finished in between UW and Iowa.

The Wolverines' first varsity eight finished off the day with an afternoon triumph by three-quarters of a length over the Badgers in 6:29.8. The second varsity eight clocked in at 7:37.2, seven seconds behind the Hawkeyes. The first varsity four improved its standing from the morning race by turning in a second-place showing (7:22.1) following Wisconsin and just 1.1 seconds in front of the Spartans. The second varsity four got its second win of the day in 7:36.6.

In the novice races, U-M took second to Wisconsin in the first novice eight, third in the second novice eight and third in the novice four.

Michigan will have next weekend off before it defends its Big Ten Conference title at the Big Ten Championships on April 30 in Bloomington, Ind.

RESULTS

Morning Session

First Varsity Eight 1. Michigan 6:34.9 2. Iowa 6:37.1 1. Michigan State 6:24.4 2. Wisconsin 6:29.9 Second Varsity Eight 1. Michigan 6:45.2 2. Iowa 6:55.6 1. Wisconsin 6:33.4 2. Michigan State 6:38.1 First Varsity Four 1. Wisconsin 7:11.2 2. Michigan State 7:12.9 3. Michigan 7:13.9 Second Varsity Four 1. Michigan 6:40.7 2. Wisconsin 6:46.2 3. Michigan State 7:08.4 First Novice Eight 1. Michigan 6:39.9 2. Iowa 6:53.4 1. Michigan State 6:40.0 2. Wisconsin 6:47.1 Second Novice Eight 1. Michigan State 6:42.4 2. Michigan 6:54.8 3. Wisconsin 6:57.3 Novice Four 1. Wisconsin 7:47.4 2. Michigan 8:03.8 3. Iowa 8:05.0

Afternoon Session

First Varsity Eight 1. Michigan 6:29.8 2. Wisconsin 6:32.8 1. Michigan State 6:18.8 2. Iowa 6:28.6 Second Varsity Eight 1. Wisconsin 6:30.2 2. Michigan 6:37.2 1. Michigan State 6:41.6 2. Iowa 7:04.9 First Varsity Four 1. Wisconsin 7:16.4 2. Michigan 7:22.1 3. Michigan State 7:23.2 Second Varsity Four 1. Michigan 7:36.6 2. Wisconsin 7:38.4 3. Michigan State 8:00.8 First Novice Eight 1. Wisconsin 6:43.2 2. Michigan 6:45.5 1. Michigan State 6:48.5 2. Iowa 7:05.5 Second Novice Eight 1. Michigan State 6:49.1 2. Wisconsin 7:03.1 3. Michigan 7:06.2 Novice Four 1. Wisconsin 8:00.8 2. Iowa 8:09.8 3. Michigan 8:11.7

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Mark Rothstein
On the first varsity eight finishing the regular season undefeated ... "I think they have a lot of confidence right now. We know we have to get faster. The Big Ten Championships will be a huge challenge. We had great racing today, it was very competitive."

On having such a successful season against the Big Ten's best schools ... "At Big Tens we're going to get everyone's best race. Just because we beat two good teams in Iowa and Wisconsin today does not mean that there are any guarantees in two weeks. We need to be ready and we need to get faster if we want to win the Big Ten championship."

Michigan Lineups

First Varsity Eight -- Tara Medina (coxswain), Sarah Trowbridge, Crystal Culp, Leah Ketcheson, Janine Hanson, Cristin McCarty, Emily Shea, Brett Sickler, Stesha Carle.