Weekly Release #7

Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sun., May 27-29 -- at NCAA Championships (Sacramento, Calif.)

Michigan This Week
The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan women's rowing team travels to the NCAA Championships this Friday through Sunday (May 27-29) in Sacramento, Calif., to chase its first team national title. U-M has qualified for the national championships in each of the last eight seasons only failing to earn a bid in its inaugural campaign in 1997. The Maize and Blue first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four crews will be competing for individual boat championships and the team crown throughout the three-day event. The races will take place on Lake Natoma at the California State-Sacramento Aquatics Center.

Friday, May 27
I Varsity Eight	8:00 a.m.	Heat 1
	8:15 a.m.	Heat 2
	8:30 a.m.	Heat 3
II Varsity Eight	10:00 a.m.	Heat 1
	10:15 a.m.	Heat 2
I Varsity Four	11:00 a.m.	Heat 1
	11:15 a.m.	Heat 2
I Varsity Eight	4:00 p.m.	Repechage
Saturday, May 28
I Varsity Four	9:30 a.m.	Repechage
	9:45 a.m.	Repechage
II Varsity Eight	10:00 a.m.	Repechage
	10:15 a.m.	Repechage
I Varsity Eight	10:30 a.m.	Semifinal
	10:45 a.m.	Semifinal
	11:00 a.m.	(Places 13-16)
Sunday, May 29
I Varsity Four	10:30 a.m.	Petite Final
	10:45 a.m.	Grand Final
II Varsity Eight	11:00 a.m.	Petite Final
	11:15 a.m.	Grand Final
I Varsity Eight	11:30 a.m.	Petite Final
	Noon	Grand Final
Awards Ceremony	12:45

Live Results
As the host, California State University, Sacramento will be posting live results of the regatta throughout the weekend at www.hornetsports.com. Tickets for the 2005 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships can be obtained through the Sacramento State Ticket Office (916-278-2222) and at the CSUS Aquatic Center throughout the competition.

Matt the Meteorologist
For Friday, the forecast is predicting sun with temperatures peaking at 88 degrees with 10 mph winds coming from the southwest. The rest of the weekend calls for temperatures in the mid 80s with sunny skies and little chance of precipitation. Wind, again reaching around 10 mph, should come from the southwest.

The Best of the Best
The NCAA Championships field is comprised of 12 teams that were ranked in the top 14 by the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association in the final poll of the season (May 18). No. 5 Brown, No. 1 California, No. 9 Harvard, No. 12 Michigan, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Princeton, No. 10 Southern California, No. 7 Virginia, No. 13 Washington, No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 2 Yale all received team bids while No. 8 Stanford, No. 16 Syracuse, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 15 UCLA will compete solely in the first varsity eight races.

Championship Format
The NCAA Championships award a team title based on points earned by each team's boats, and boats can earn individual national championships in their respective categories: first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four. The schools that have only first varsity eight crews are not eligible for the team national championship.

The advancement formula for the first varsity eight begins in the three heats. The top three boats in each heat advance directly to one of the two semifinals. The remaining seven boats from all three heats then race in the repechage. The top three crews in the repechage then advance to fill the remaining spots in the semifinals. The four boats that do not make it out of the repechage have one final race for places 13-16. In the semifinals, the top three boats from each race advance to the grand final for places 1-6. The bottom three boats from each semifinal move to the petite final for places 7-12.

For the second varsity eight and first varsity four races there are two heats. The top boat from each heat advances directly to the grand final. The remaining boats compete in one of two repechages with the top two finishing boats advancing to the grand finals. The boats not advancing to the grand final are relegated to the petite final. See the chart below for the point breakdown determined by each boat's final finish.

Place-Points

Race	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
IV8	36	33	30	27	24	21	18	15	12	9	6	3
IIV8	24	22	20	18	16	14	12	10	8	6	4	2
IV4	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

Who Gets to Go
The selection of teams for the NCAA Championships is determined by taking into account a large number of criteria. The selection of teams and individual boats was based on eligibility and availability of student-athletes; regional championship results; regional rankings; late-season performance; head-to-head results; results against teams/boats already selected; results against common opponents and results against regionally ranked teams/boats. One team from each of the five regions was selected and the remaining seven teams were selected at-large.

Been There Done That
Of the 23 Wolverines slated to compete at the 2005 NCAA Championships, 18 have prior experience at the national regatta, including all three coxswains. All nine members of the first varsity eight raced at the 2004 championships in Sacramento, Calif. Six of the second varsity eight members and three student-athletes from the first varsity four boat have previously competed for the national title.

Two Weeks Ago at the Central Region Championships
Michigan's first day (May 14) at the Central Region Championships put the Wolverines in good position as all five boats advanced to their respective grand finals. During the second day of competition (May 15) U-M only mustered a boat title in the first novice eight event and finished second in the region behind first-place Ohio State. Wisconsin finished just behind the Maize and Blue in third. The first varsity eight placed a dissappointing fifth, nearly nine seconds of the pace of the winner, Ohio State. Michigan's second varsity eight did slightly better by finishing fourth in its sprint. The first varsity four earned an identical fourth-place finish. The second varsity four was in the middle of the pack in its race and garnered a third-place showing. U-M's novice crew won its final event by nearly a full boat length. Virginia won the overall and South Region championships with 372 points. Ohio State won the Central Region crown with 366 points while U-M (327) beat out Wisconsin (324) for second in the region.

Last Year at the NCAA Championships
Appearing in its seventh consecutive NCAA Championships in 2004, Michigan garnered a third-place finish, second-best in the program's eight-year history. The first varsity eight won its heat and was the runner-up in its semifinal races before finishing third in the grand final. The second varsity eight was fourth in the grand final, missing out on second place by just 0.4 seconds. Finally, the first varsity four was third in the petite final for a ninth-place overall finish. Brown won the team and first varsity eight championships. Yale was second, followed by the Maize and Blue and then California.

All-Big Ten
Three Michigan rowers were named to the All-Big Ten teams following the 2005 Big Ten Conference Championships on April 30. Leah Ketcheson (Belleville, Ontario/Bayside SS) was selected as an All-Big Ten first team member for the second year in a row. Crystal Culp (Fonthill, Ontario/E.L. Crossley SS) and Brett Sickler (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS) were part of the All-Big Ten second team.

All-Central Region
A trio of U-M rowers as well as a coxswain were name to the All-Central Region teams on May 20. Leah Ketcheson and Brett Sickler collected All-Central Region first team honors while Crystal Culp and coxswain Tara Medina (Mill Bay, B.C./Brentwood CS) were named to the region's second team.

Probable Lineups

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

Second Varsity Eight -- Julia Dalzell (coxswain), Elizabeth Godek, Ellen Tomek, Karen Colwell, Annie Hildebrand, Liz Nelson, Chelsea MacMullan, Carla Bezold, Jourdan Lawlor.

First Varsity Four -- Louisa DiLeone (coxswain), Margot Woolley, Marin McCabe, Christin Plunkett, Amanda Martin.

Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423