Michigan
Ohio State
Wolverines Look Fast During Scrimmages in Columbus
10/16/2018 3:04:00 PM | Rowing
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan rowing program enjoyed a weekend of team bonding and quality competition in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend, continuing its fall season with a pair of multi-piece scrimmages with Ohio State on Sunday (Oct. 14) and Tuesday (Oct. 16).
The racing was competitive and featured narrow margins across the board, though timing was unofficial.
With Michigan on its fall study break, the Wolverines had the opportunity to race in multiple formats and saw improvement throughout the roster, according to head coach Mark Rothstein.
"The weekend may have been informal, but there was a lot of good, close racing," he said.
It was not just the quality of competition that pleased Rothstein, but the volume of opportunities presented by the multi-format structure.
"We got a chance to compare speed in different boat classes, and I think both teams benefited," he said.
"It is important to be able to compare speed with other programs and while we can do that in Boston (at the Head of the Charles), we are only sending one boat. It was really nice to send the whole squad and get really good competition up and down the lineups. This weekend gives us a sense of where we are, what we need to work on and where we want to go."
Racing on the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, the team competed with OSU in a several formats. U-M began the weekend with a set of two sessions on Sunday (Oct. 14), during which the teams raced eight pairs boats and four fours boats in two x 4,500-meter pieces at a controlled pace.
In Tuesday's session, the team raced fours and eights in race pieces, completing five 2,000-meter sets at a controlled rate.
Rothstein was pleased with how the Wolverines approached the weekend. They had the chance to measure themselves against the Buckeyes on the water, but also took the opportunity of an extended weekend together and used it to improve as students and to grow closer as a team.
"Having the team together over a long weekend gave us the chance to gel a little bit as a group," he said.
"With midterms upon us, and the fall study break going on, we also made sure everyone had a lot of time for studying which was important."
Michigan will now begin winding down its fall campaign by sending one eight boat to the Head of the Charles this weekend. The novice program will compete the following weekend in East Lansing, Michigan.
A Look Ahead
Sunday, Oct. 21 -- at Head of the Charles (2 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 28 -- at Michigan State (Novice only; TBA)
