First Varsity Eight Earns At-Large Bid to NCAA Championships
5/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The first varsity eight of the University of Michigan women's rowing team received an at-large bid to the 2008 NCAA Championships, the NCAA selection committee announced Tuesday afternoon (May 20). The NCAA Championships are set to take place from Friday through Sunday, May 30-June 1, on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif.
The NCAA awards 12 team bids (first varsity eight, second varsity eight, first varsity four) and an additional four at-large first varsity eight tenders, which is what Michigan's top boat received. The Wolverines will compete against the 15 other crews for a chance to win the first varsity eight national championship. However, U-M will not be in contention for the team national title, which is reserved solely for the 12 schools that earned team bids.
The complete list of team bids are as follows: defending national champion Brown, California, Harvard, Michigan State, Ohio State, Princeton, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin and Yale. Joining U-M with at-large eight bids are Clemson, Southern California and Stanford.
Last Sunday (May 18), the first varsity eight placed third at the Central/South Region Sprints ahead of fellow NCAA Championships qualifiers Clemson, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Ohio State. Virginia and Michigan State finished ahead of the Wolverines.
This is the first time that Michigan will be sending an at-large first varsity eight to the NCAA Championships. From 1998 through 2005 U-M garnered eight consecutive team bids. The best showing by Michigan's first varsity eight came in 2003 when the boat was the national runner-up. It also reached the medal stand in 2001 and 2004, taking third each year.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
