Weekly Release #5

4/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Rowing

Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, April 29 -- at Big Ten Championships (St Paul, Minn.)
Sat-Sun., May 13-14 -- at Central Region Championships (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)

Michigan This Week
The No. 8-ranked Michigan rowing team begins its postseason at the Big Ten Conference Women's Rowing Championships Saturday (April 29) on Lake Phalen in St. Paul, Minn. The regatta will begin at 8 a.m. and will include No. 5-ranked Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 17 Minnesota, No. 18 Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana. Michigan has won four of the six Big Ten Championships. The Maize and Blue won the first two crowns in 2000 and 2001 and, after finishing second to Ohio State in 2002, returned to the top of the podium again in 2003 and 2004.

Schedule of Events

8:00 a.m.	II Novice Eight, Heat 1	U-M lane 1
8:15 a.m.	II Novice Eight, Heat 1
8:30 a.m.	I Novice Eight, Heat 1	U-M lane 1
8:45 a.m.	I Novice Eight, Heat 2
9:00 a.m.	II Varsity Four, Heat 1	U-M lane 3
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	U-M lane 3
10:00 a.m.	II Varsity Eight, Heat 1	U-M lane 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	U-M lane 2

12:00 p.m.	II Novice Eight, Petite Final
12:15 p.m.	II Novice Eight, Grand Final
12:30 p.m.	I Novice Eight, Petite Final
12:45 p.m.	I Novice Eight, Grand Final
1:00 p.m.	II Varsity Four, Petite Final
1:15 p.m.	II Varsity Four, Grand Final
1:30 p.m.	I Varsity Four, Petite Final
1:45 p.m.	I Varsity Four, Grand Final
2:00 p.m.	II Varsity Eight, Petite Final
2:15 p.m.	II Varsity Eight, Grand Final
2:30 p.m.	I Varsity Eight, Petite Final
2:45 p.m.	I Varsity Eight, Grand Final
4:00 p.m.	Awards Presentation

Live Results
Live updates throughout the Big Ten Championships will be available on the University of Minnesota website, www.gophersports.com.

Championship Format
Up to six boats race for each team at the Big Ten Championships: first varsity eight, second varsity eight, first varsity four, second varsity four, first novice eight and second novice eight. The set of boats are split into two heats in the morning session. The top four teams advance to the grand final in the afternoon while the remaining teams finish the day in the petite final. Each boat earns points for its team based on its finish (see chart below).

Place-Points

Race	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
IV8	63	54	45	36	27	18	9
IIV8	42	36	30	24	18	12	6
IV4	21	18	15	12	9	6	3
IIV4	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
IN8	14	12	10	8	6	4	2
IIN8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

Matt the Meteorologist
The forecast for Saturday in St. Paul, Minn., calls for a high of 58 degrees. Showers are being predicted with a 60 percent likelihood. Winds are expected out of the northeast at 13 miles per hour.

Sticking Together
Throughout the spring season, U-M's first varsity eight lineup has not been alterred. Holdovers from the 2005 first varsity eight include seniors Stesha Carl (Long Beach, Calif./Wilson HS), Janine Hanson (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's Academy) and Cristin McCarty (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Bishop James Mahoney) and junior Emily Shea (Ashfield, Mass./Deerfield Academy). Junior coxswain Julia Dalzell (Berkeley, Calif./Miramonte), senior Ellen Tomek (Flushing, Mich./Powers Catholic) and sophomore Annie Hildebrand (Rochester, Mich./Rochester Adams) have all made the successful jump from the second varsity eight in 2005 into the top boat for 2006. Freshmen Ashley Jones (Oakland, Calif./Skyline) and Cate Trumble (Dalkeith, Western Australia/Presbyterian Ladies' College) have stepped right in as the bow pair in their first seasons.

Head Coach Mark Rothstein
Mark Rothstein is in his 10th year as the head coach of the Michigan rowing team. Rothstein, the only head coach in the program's history, has guided the Maize and Blue to the NCAA Championships for eight straight seasons. In 2003, Rothstein guided the first varsity eight to a runner-up finish, its best ever showing, at the NCAA Championships en route to a fourth-place team finish. At the 2001 NCAA Championships, U-M had a school-best second-place finish, highlighted by a national boat title by the second varsity eight. He has led the team to four of the six Big Ten Conference championships (2000, '01, '03, '04). In 2000, '01 and '04 he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. He was the Central Region Coach of the Year in 2000 and '01. For his efforts during the 2001 season, he was selected as the National Coach of the Year.

Two Weeks Ago for the Maize and Blue
U-M's first varsity eight swept Iowa and Wisconsin on Saturday (April 15) on Lake Wingra in Madison, Wisc., to finish off the regular season with a record of 4-3. The second varsity eight defeated the Hawkeyes but lost to the Badgers.The Michigan first varsity four boat finished second in the morning behind Michigan State, but ahead of Wisconsin. In the afternoon the four placed third behind the same crews. The second four beat UW's lightweight shell in its first race and then finished in between two Badger fours later in the day. The first novice eight defeated Iowa and then lost to Wisconsin. The second novice eight started off with a third-place finish behind Iowa and UW's lightweights and then took third again behind two Badger boats.

Last Year at the Big Ten Championships
With a fourth-place team showing, the then No. 3 Wolverines suffered their worst final standing in the five-year history of the Big Ten Championships on April 30, 2005, in Bloomington, Ind. Michigan had an impressive morning on Lake Lemon. By placing all six of its boats in the afternoon's grand finals U-M was in good position to capture its third straight Big Ten title and fifth overall. Unfortunately, the Maize and Blue crews did not fare as well in the decisive races as no boat finished higher than third place in its respective race.

Heading into the first varsity eight grand final the Wolverines were still mathematically in the hunt for the team title provided they won the race and received help from other teams. However, the first varsity eight finished third (6:25.34) behind Michigan State (6:22.20) and Ohio State (6:23.50), ending their season-long, eight-race winning streak. The Spartans parlayed their first varsity eight title into their first Big Ten team crown. The Buckeyes took second and Wisconsin edged Michigan for third. Michigan's second varsity eight was fourth in its final race in a time of 6:34.85. The first varsity four turned in a third-place showing, crossing the finish line in 7:27.65. U-M's second varsity four and first novice eight took third in their events and the second novice eight was fourth.

Probable Lineups

First Varsity Eight -- Julia Dalzell (coxswain), Stesha Carl, Emily Shea, Janine Hanson, Annie Hildebrand, Cristin McCarty, Ellen Tomek, Ashley Jones, Cate Trumble.