U-M Puts All Boats Through to A/B Semifinals on Day One of NCAA Championships

Friday, May 26

Pennsauken, N.J.

9:12 AM

Michigan

NCAA Heats

(Michigan Photography)

U-M Puts All Boats Through to A/B Semifinals on Day One of NCAA Championships

5/26/2023 11:56:00 AM | Rowing

Photo Gallery

By: Chad Shepard

Site: Pennsauken, N.J. (Cooper River)
Event: NCAA Championship (Day 1 of 3)
First Varsity Eight Finish: 6:32.520 (2nd of 5)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, May 27 -- at NCAA Championships - Day Two (Pennsauken, N.J.), 8:24 a.m.

• Results | Photo Gallery

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan rowing program advanced all three of its boats to the A/B semifinals during Friday's (May 26) first day of competition at the NCAA Championships regatta. Needing a top-three finish in today's heats to guarantee a place in A/B Semifinals on Saturday (May 27), the Wolverines dug deep to advance with one second-place finish (1V8) and two third-place finishes (1V4, 2V8).

Today's performances set the Maize and Blue up for a productive Saturday, when A/B semifinals will give way to berths in the Grand Final (national placings one through six) and Petite Final (placings seven through 12). The top two finishing boats in each A/B Semifinal will advance to Sunday's (Msy 28) Grand Finals.

U-M's first race of the morning was the 1V8. Rowing in the second heat, U-M lined up in lane two between Northeastern and Texas. Texas and Syracuse were the early leaders, with U-M only a couple of seats behind the Orange as the crews came up on 1,000 meters. That pace held through 1,500 meters as U-M and Syracuse continued battling for positioning, leaving Duke behind. In the final sprint, the Wolverines moved into second place as Texas put open water on the field. The Maize and Blue continued pushing and put open water on Syracuse before the finish line, leading to a second-place showing (6:32.520) for U-M, about four seconds behind the Longhorns.

Racing in lane five between Stanford and Navy, the Wolverines' 2V8 kept in tight pursuit of the race's frontrunners and carried that momentum across the finish line. Stanford wasted no time getting into the lead position and built a lead of nearly three seconds by 1,000 meters. A similar gap separated U-M (third place) from Washington (second) as the race broke into the second half. Duke began making a push from fourth to third, and the Wolverines had to hold them off. U-M kept in control and made its way across the line for third place about 7.5 seconds behind second-place Washington.

From the third heat of the varsity four, the Wolverines rowed in lane two between Navy and Brown. U-M placed itself in the lead pack, but Virginia crossed the 500-meter mark first, about two seconds ahead of the Wolverines, followed by Brown in second. The Hoos had a big second 500 meters, pushing their lead further, and Brown responded to go with the Cavaliers. U-M kept its pace in third place but fell a little bit behind the leaders as they pushed the pace. Comfortably in a qualifying position, the Wolverines cruised across the line for a time of 7:42.806.

The Wolverines will be back on the Cooper River on Saturday at 8:24 a.m. for A/B semifinal action on day two of the NCAA Championships.

Results

First Varsity Eight
1. Texas -- 6:28.340
2. MICHIGAN -- 6:32.520
3. Syracuse -- 6:37.260
4. Duke -- 6:43.130
5. Northeastern -- 6:49.790

Second Varsity Eight
1. Stanford -- 6:38.197
2. Washington -- 6:42.507
3. MICHIGAN -- 6:50.021
4. Duke -- 6:53.271
5. Gonzaga -- 7:24.711
6. Navy -- 7:46.601

First Varsity Four
1. Virginia -- 7:27.030
2. Brown -- 7:31.278
3. MICHIGAN -- 7:42.806
4. Southern California -- 8:07.578
5. Navy -- 8:15.996
6. George Washington -- 8:34.806

Michigan Lineups

1V8: Ainslie Evans (coxswain), Abigail Dent, Katie Easton, Zara Collisson, Sara Houben, Jana Peachey, Gabrielle Graves, Aubrey Fitts, Abby Hathaway