Wolverines Arrive at Big Ten Championship

Sunday, May 13

Indianapolis, Ind.

9:00 AM

Michigan

Big Ten Championships

5/10/2018 11:24:00 AM | Rowing

By: Chad Shepard

» U-M begins its 2018 postseason run with Sunday's Big Ten Championships, marking eight years in a row competing at Eagle Creek Park with the conference crown up for grabs.
» The Wolverines check in at No. 6 in this week's CRCA/USRowing Coaches Poll this week, second among six ranked Big Ten programs.
» Michigan has a top-three seed in six of seven events and is seeded second in five races overall.

THIS WEEK
Sunday, May 11 -- Indianapolis, Ind. (Eagle Creek Reservoir), 9 a.m.
Host Site Information | Results | Live Stream

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

After a weekend free of competition, the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan rowing team travels to Indianapolis, Indiana, this weekend for Sunday's (May 13) Big Ten Championship regatta at Eagle Creek Reservoir. U-M hopes to take the momentum built by a Senior Day sweep of Louisville and apply it to the conference championships as it continues to climb in the national polls, with this week's No. 6 position representing the team's highest ranking in more than a month.

Michigan's postseason crews to compete: both varsity eights, three varsity fours and both novice eight boats.

The Wolverines hit the road after a weekend off competition. The team wrapped up its regular season with a Senior Day Celebration (April 29) against Louisville, winning all races. U-M has been first or second in the Big Ten in 13 of the last 18 seasons, including runner-up showings in 2015 and 2017.

Of the eight other programs represented at the Big Ten Championships, U-M has already beaten No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 14 Indiana and No. 20 Michigan State, with wins in the second varsity eight and all three fours boats over No. 8 Iowa.

Races are set to begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday, with the last race of the day scheduled for 11 a.m. The regatta can be streamed live on BTN2Go, and the full television broadcast will air on the Big Ten Network on Sunday, May 20 at 11 a.m.

Michigan's seeding for the championship races can be found below, along with race times:

First Varsity Eight -- No. 3 (Lane 3) -- 11 a.m.
Second Varsity Eight -- No. 2 (Lane 5) -- 10:40 a.m.

First Varsity Four -- No. 2 (Lane 5) -- 10:20 a.m.
Second Varsity Four -- No. 2 (Lane 5) -- 10 a.m.
Third Varsity Four -- No. 2 (Lane 3) -- 9:40 a.m.

First Novice Eight -- No. 4 (Lane 6) -- 9 a.m.
Second Novice Eight -- No. 2 (Lane 5) -- 9:20 a.m.

VARSITY LINEUPS
1V8: Alexis Jones (coxswain), Kalia Krichko, Meghan Gutknecht, Victoria Glunt, Kendall Brewer, Kate Burns, Shayla Lamb, Flick Cain, Caroline Hendershot

2V8: Charlotte Powers (coxswain), Annika Hoffmann, Emma Luniewicz, Perry Bower, Kathryn Grotto, Megan Hinkle, Grace Gagliardi, Madison Byrd, Kathleen Peng

1V4: Rachel Fanning, Rae Oleshansky, Anahera Nin, Emily Krebs, Erika Yasuda (coxswain)

2V4: Abby Vare, Madeleine Schneider, Grace Collins, Lilia Duncan Lily Miller (coxswain)

3V4: Haley Zapolski, Allie Stellon, Catherine Olson, Tate Aronstein, Marissa Gabriel (coxswain)

1N8: Fleur De Jong (coxswain), Taylor Toudouze, Audrey Gordon, Paige Badenhorst, Alexandra Walker, Julia Gehlert, Kristen Picard, Noa Sreden, Allyson Eggleton

2N8: Natalie Douglas (coxswain), Felicia Franklin, Madelyn Rycenga, Kendra Sanders, Mariah Newton, Nora Epler, Anneka Allard, Desiree Neveau, Caroline Yeh

THINGS TO KNOW
On the Water
• This weekend's regatta represents the start of the 2018 postseason for U-M. The Wolverines seek their sixth Big Ten team championship -- the team's most recent trophy came in 2012 after wins in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004.

• Michigan's 1V8 has wins over 12 different programs on the spring season, finishing ahead of nationally ranked crews from No. 7 Virginia, No. 9 Yale, No. 10 Brown, No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 14 Indiana and No. 20 Michigan State. The Wolverines' only losses have come to No. 1 Washington, No. 3 Texas, No. 8 Iowa and No. 11 Princeton.

• After opening the season ranked No. 5 in the CRCA/USRowing Coaches' Poll, U-M has maintained a top-10 ranking all season long. In the latest edition, the seventh released this season, U-M is ranked No. 6, second among six Big Ten teams ranked in the top 20.

• Among the roster's top returning athletes, three already have conference accolades already on the shelf: Kendall Brewer (first team, twice), Meghan Gutknecht (2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year) and Tayla-May Bentley (2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year).

• Overall, U-M returns 20 total athletes from last year's Big Ten Championship rosters, including five rowers from each of the two varsity eight boats.

• Head coach Mark Rothstein is in his 22nd season at the helm of the program that he helped build from a club team to a varsity powerhouse. He has coached nine teams to top-five NCAA Championship finishes, including two second-place finishes (2001, 2012) and last year's third-place showing. Rothstein was recognized as the Big Ten Coach of the Year on four occasions and was named CRCA National Coach of the Year in 2001.

Off the Water
• Michigan Athletics honored more than 500 student-athletes at the Academic Celebration last month (April 9), including an astonishing 64 rowers. Among those who received additional recognition was Rebecca Joyce, named the recipient of the Let's Go Do Award for Civic Engagement.

• Through the generosity of alumni Tracy Wolfson and David Reichel, junior Caroline Hendershot was chosen to spend a week preparing for and executing an NFL broadcast with the Emmy-nominated Wolfson on CBS. Read more about Hendershot's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

• Senior coxswain Alexis Jones was announced last month as one of four recipients of the Bonderman Fellowship, a prestigious honor awarded to four graduating U-M LS&A seniors which affords them the opportunity to travel the world for eight months on a $20,000 stipend. More information here.

• Junior Rachel Fanning was the subject of a recent edition in the popular Scholar Stories series on MGoBlue.com. The full article details her hopes of heading to Hollywood to help build a more diverse movie industry upon graduation.

A LOOK AHEAD
Friday, May 25 -- NCAA Championship in Sarasota, Fla.
Saturday, May 26 -- NCAA Championship in Sarasota, Fla.
Sunday, May 27 -- NCAA Championship in Sarasota, Fla.

Tweet of the Week

Ohhhh the memories of Camp Wolverine. Good luck next weekend wolverines! Time to show our championship ways! Time to etch another one on those pillars. @UMichAthletics #GoBlue #RowBlue #theTeam #Beatohio https://t.co/zAxig8ubEi
— Caroline Gregory (@ckgregory) May 7, 2018