U-M to Return to Indianapolis for Big Ten Championships

Sunday, May 16

Indianapolis, Ind.

9:00 AM

Michigan

Big Ten Championships

(Michigan Photography)

U-M to Return to Indianapolis for Big Ten Championships

5/12/2021 5:13:00 PM | Rowing

By: Chad Shepard

» The postseason begins with this weekend's conference regatta, followed by the NCAA Championship event at the end of the month.
» Michigan will seek to defend its 2019 title, and comes in as the second-highest ranked Big Ten team.
» COVID-19 protocols for athletes and any attendees are available from the Indianapolis Rowing Center.

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan rowing team embarks on its 2021 postseason with Sunday's (May 16) Big Ten Championships at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Ind. The Wolverines will defend their 2019 conference title by returning to the Hoosier State, the site of the regatta each year from 2011-2018.

The event will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+. Races also will be shared on social media. The television broadcast will be tape-delayed, and is tentatively set for Saturday, May 22, at 3 p.m.

The format for the event will begin with novice eight races, followed by varsity four races, and finishing with varsity eight events. All-Big Ten teams are chosen based off a team's 1V8 finish.

Schedule

9 a.m. -- 2N8
9:20 a.m. -- 1N8
9:40 a.m. -- 3V4
10 a.m. -- 2V4
10:20 a.m. -- 1V4
10:40 a.m. -- 2V8
11 a.m. -- 1V8
12:30 p.m. -- Awards Ceremony

Michigan Lineup

1V8: Charlotte Powers (coxswain), Annika Hoffmann, Tayla-May Bentley, Lilia Duncan, Madison Byrd, Kate Burns, Grace Collins, Ariana Shokoohi, Julia Gehlert

2V8: Alexandra Gabel (coxswain), Emma Luniewicz, Noa Sreden, Elena Collier-Hezel, Paige Badenhorst, Zara Collisson, Abigail Dent, Ember Larson, Jeri Rhodes

1V4: Lillian Mei, Victoria Cooke, Kathryn Ward, Sarah McKay, Ainslie Evans (coxswain)

2V4: Annaka Draaisma, Madelyn Ball, Lauren Benitez, Delaney Evans, Darien Moses (coxswain)

3V4: Taylor Toudouze, Megan Hinkle, Aubrey Fitts, Tara Flaherty, Kayla Ehrlich (coxswain)

1N8: Faith Bridgeman (coxswain), Elle Caton, Isabel Mezei, Katie Lucken, Brooke Gietzen, Olivia Olk, Julia Casey, Hawthorne Haywood, Olivia Krum

2N8: Caitlin Dusenbury (coxswain), Chloe Pulick, Lauren Langley, Olivia McMullen, Ashley Veldheer, Lily Pence, Annika Ehrlacher, Kate Kikilo, Sophie Rallis

Things to Know

• Michigan begins the 2021 postseason in pursuit of its the program's seventh Big Ten championship and sixth consecutive top-10 NCAA finish under five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Mark Rothstein.

• Rothstein joined Jon Jansen on the Conqu'ring Heroes Podcast this week, discussing his background, putting together a lineup in this challenging season, and the progress of this year's team as it approaches the stretch run.

• The 2021 Big Ten Rowing Championships in Indianapolis will feature a number of social justice initiatives. Visit the conference website to learn more.

• U-M currently sits at No. 6 in the CRCA/USRowing Coaches Poll. The Wolverines have the second-best ranking of any Big Ten program. Rutgers is ranked fifth.

• Overall, the Big Ten has an impressive six teams ranked in the top 20, including No. 5 Rutgers, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 9 Indiana, No. 16 Minnesota, and No. 20 Wisconsin.

• When it comes to conference competition, U-M's 1V8 has wins over four of the Big Ten's six ranked teams this spring (U-M has not raced Minnesota). U-M also has wins over (then-ranked) No. 16 Iowa and Michigan State.

• Outside the conference, U-M has a strong record as well. The Wolverines' top boat has picked up victories over No. 9 Tennessee, No. 16 SMU, No. 18 Washington State, No. 20 Syracuse, Iowa, Notre Dame and Louisville this spring.

• Last time on the water, the Wolverines hosted Iowa and Louisville on Belleville Lake. The Wolverines swept the day, winning all six races.

• When U-M was last racing in the postseason, it regained its place at the top of the Big Ten standings in May 2019, winning the sixth conference championship in program history and the first since 2012.

• U-M returns 28 athletes from the 2019 Big Ten Championship team, including 18 from the five varsity boats (six, 1V8; four, 2V8; one, 1V4; four, 2V4; three, 3V4). Tayla-May Bentley and Madison Byrd (second team) return with All-Big Ten honors in tow.

• In addition to postseason debuts from this year's true freshmen, academic sophomores who did not get a chance to compete in 2020 also will be competing at the Big Ten Championships for the first time.

• The Big Ten is one of 11 conferences whose champion will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in Florida later this month.

Up Next

Fri-Sun., May 28-30 -- at NCAA Championships (Sarasota, Fla.), TBA