All Three U-M Boats Land in A/B Semifinals after NCAA Heats

Friday, May 25

Sarasota, Fla.

9:00 AM

Michigan

NCAA Heats

First Varsity Eight

All Three U-M Boats Land in A/B Semifinals after NCAA Heats

5/25/2018 11:40:00 AM | Rowing

By: Chad Shepard

» In its first day of competition, U-M advanced all three of its championship boats (1V8, 2V8, 1V4) to A/B semifinal action.
» The 1V8 and 1V4 crews placed second in their respective events, while the 2V8 won its race.
» A schedule shift in the morning adjusted the order of races, with the first varsity four racing before U-M's second varsity eight heat.

Site: Sarasota, Fla. (Nathan Benderson Park)
Event: NCAA Championships (Heats)
First Varsity Eight Finish: 2nd of 6 (6:22.198) - advance to Saturday A/B Semifinal
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., May 26-27 -- at NCAA Championships (Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota, Fla.), 8:36 a.m.

• Photo Gallery | Results

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan rowing program looked fast and poised during the first day of the NCAA Championships at Nathan Benderson Park on Friday (May 25). The Wolverines put their speed on display early, advancing all three boats to A/B semifinals.

During the first day of competition, qualifying heats provide an opportunity for the top two finishers in each event to automatically qualify for Saturday's A/B semifinal, with remaining competitors relegated to repechages that same afternoon. The Wolverines avoided a second set of Friday races when all three U-M boats earned first- or second-place finishes, highlighted by a wire-to-wire victory for the 2V8 boat.

The weather was excellent for morning racing. Temperatures reached 75 degrees by about 9 a.m. and winds were a light cross-breeze 8-12 miles per hour across the starboard.

The first varsity eight set the tone early for U-M, rowing against fellow perennial powers No 2 California and No. 7 Virginia with only two automatic qualifying spots available. All three had created early separation on the pack by the 250-meter mark, and Cal began the early push, going up a seat and a half on Virginia by 500 meters with UVA a seat up on U-M.

The Cavaliers widened their lead to about three seats at the 750-meter mark, but U-M would not let it go any further. The Wolverines tightened the gap near 1,000 meters, remaining poised and calm while readying for a big push.

That came with just over 500 meters to go, when U-M turned it up on Virginia to pass the Cavaliers and take the lead inside the 500-meter mark. With a big push, the Wolverines finished nearly a full boat length ahead of the Cavaliers, timing 6:22.198 to UVA's 6:25.548. That second-place finish automatically pushes the Wolverines into Saturday's A/B Semifinal.

An equipment issue with another team forced a slight schedule change in the morning, and as a result, U-M's 1V4 raced before its 2V8. The 1V4 battled with No. 2 California, No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 15 Syracuse, among others, and it was all Cal and U-M from the start.

The Bears and Wolverines put separation on the pack with Syracuse and Wisconsin giving chase. By the 750-meter mark, Wisconsin was up a bow deck on Syracuse while U-M began to pull away from the Badgers. By the 1,000-meter mark, U-M had opened up a full boat length lead and put itself in position to play defense in the second half of the race.

But the Wolverines pulled away even further over that second half of the race, while shortening the lead Cal had earned in the early goings. U-M finished comfortably in second place and became the second Maize and Blue boat of the day to advance to Saturday's A/B Semifinals.

Michigan's second varsity eight boat carried that same energy into the final race of the day, and did so in emphatic fashion against No. 3 Ohio State No. 9 Yale and No. 12 Brown, among others. Michigan's 2V8 competed its way to a wire-to-wire victory in perhaps the most impressive showing of the day for the Wolverines.

U-M wasted no time and was up half a boat length on Brown just 300 meters in, putting open water on the rest of the field by the 750-meter mark. With the rest of the field struggling to show the speed U-M displayed early into the race, the Wolverine gap widened and the team had several seats of open water on the field by the halfway point.

The Bulldogs from Yale began their push for an automatic qualifying spot near the 1250-meter mark and pushed into second place with about 500 meters to go. They tightened the gap on Michigan down the stretch, but there was still nearly a full boat length between the first and second-place finishers.

All three of U-M's competing boats will now race in Saturday's (May 26) A/B semifinals. Heat sheets will be finalized Friday afternoon, but time ranges are as follows: All A/B semifinals are in two heats. The first varsity eight heats begin at 8:36 and 8:48 a.m., with the second varsity eight heats beginning at 9:24 and 9:36 a.m. and the first varsity four beginning at 10:12 and 10:24 a.m.

RESULTS
* = Automatically Advance to Saturday A/B Semifinals

First Varsity Eight (Heat 3)
1. California* -- 6:15.891
2. MICHIGAN* -- 6:22.198
3. Virginia -- 6:25.548
4. Indiana -- 6:37.616
5. Northeastern -- 6:46.903
6. Jacksonville -- 7:07.441

Second Varsity Eight (Heat 4)
1. MICHIGAN* -- 6:31.535
2. Yale* -- 6:34.543
3. Ohio State -- 6:37.531
4. Brown -- 6:42.591
5. Navy -- 7:06.992
6. UCF -- 7:14.480

First Varsity Four (Heat 2)
1. California* -- 7:10.722
2. MICHIGAN* -- 7:14.729
3. Wisconsin -- 7:34.644
4. Syracuse -- 7:45.774
5. UCF -- 7:49.455

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