No. 3 Rowing Opens Spring Season Sunday vs. Bucknell at 1 p.m.

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia rowing team opens it spring schedule Sunday, March 21 with a dual against Bucknell. The racing is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., which is a change from the original start time announced at 5 p.m. The event will be held on the Rivanna Reservoir, and admission is free.

Virginia is ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) preseason poll and is coming off of a fourth-place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships.

The 2009 Varsity Eight tied the highest finish in program history with a second-place effort at the NCAAs. As a team, the Cavaliers’ fourth-place finish marked the eighth time UVa has placed in the top four at the national championships.

The Cavaliers were also crowned overall champions at the 2009 NCAA South/Central Regional Championship. UVa has won the South Region portion of the championship six times in the last seven years and the South/Central overall team championship five times in the last six seasons.

Highlighting the Cavalier returnees are first team All-Americans Desiree Burns and Jennifer Cromwell. In addition to their All-America honors, Burns and Cromwell were named first team all-south region members in 2009 by the CRCA.

Lauren Hutchins and Cromwell have been named team captains for 2010.

Head coach Kevin Sauer begins his 15th season at the helm of the Virginia rowing program. He has coached UVa at 12 NCAA Championships, finishing in the top four eight times.