No. 3 Virginia Advances To Semifinals In All Three Events on Day One at NCAAs

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GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The third-ranked and reigning national champion Virginia rowing team began competition at the 2011 NCAA Rowing Championships on Friday (May 27) on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif., and advanced all three of its crews into the semifinals with top-three finishes in its Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four preliminary heats.

Virginia won its Varsity Four heat, finished second in its Second Varsity Eight heat and third in its Varsity Eight heat.

In the first race of the day, Virginia’s Varsity Eight was matched up against Princeton, Michigan State, Washington and Michigan. The top-ranked Tigers finished first with a time of 6:23.84, followed by the Spartans (6:26.87). Virginia was third (6:27.86), clinching a spot in Saturday’s semifinal by virtue of a top-three finish.

From the other heats, Brown (6:22.48), California (6:26.57), Yale (6:30.92), Stanford (6:23.67), Southern California (6:28.86) and Washington State (6:33.68) also earned semifinal berths. The remaining spots, determined by Friday afternoon’s repechage, were claimed by Wisconsin (6:53.66), Washington (6:53.82), Michigan (6:56.07) and Yale (7:00.60).

In the Second Varsity Eight race, Virginia finished second in its heat (6:40.87). Wisconsin (6:42.20), Michigan State (6:45.70), Stanford (6:32.09), Southern California (6:40.62), Washington (6:40.65), Brown (6:36.74), Ohio State (6:39.27) and Princeton (6:41.20) also advanced directly to the semifinals, with the three remaining spots determined by Friday’s repechage (Michigan, California, Washington State).

In the Varsity Four, Virginia claimed a victory in its heat with a time of 7:23.68. Second-place went to Southern California (7:26.68) and Stanford finished third (7:27.12). From the other two heats, California (7:21.86), Ohio State (7:26.96), Princeton (7:29.38), Wisconsin (7:20.60), Washington (7:23.57) and Washington State (7:30.00) advanced directly to Saturday’s semifinals, with the three remaining spots determined at the repechage (Brown, Michigan, Yale).

2011 NCAA Championships
Lake Natoma | Gold River, Calif.
Saturday, May 28

Eastern Time Event
12 p.m. Varsity Eight Semifinal 1 Princeton, USC, Cal, UVa, Wisconsin, Washington
12:15 p.m. Varsity Eight Semifinal 2 Brown, Stanford, Michigan State, Yale, Washington State, Michigan
12:30 p.m. Second Varsity Eight Semifinal 1 Brown, UVa, USC, Princeton, Michigan, Michigan State
12:45 p.m. Second Varsity Semifinal 2 Cal, Stanford, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Washington, Washington State, Yale
1 p.m. Varsity Four Semifinal 1 Cal, USC, Washington, Princeton, Brown, Michigan
1:15 p.m. Varsity Four Semifinal 2 UVa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Stanford, Washington State, Yale

UVa NCAA Line-Ups

Varsity Eight: Coxswain Sidney Thorsten, Kristine O’Brien, Christine Roper, Fiona Schlesinger, Martha Kuzzy, Keziah Beall, Sarah Borchelt, Claudia Blandford, Carli Goldberg

Second Varsity Eight: Coxswain Molly Frear, MacKenzie Leahy, Taylor Levine, Carolyn Glandorf, Brandy Herald, Morgan Joseph, Marelle Myers, Cara Linnenkohl, Lauren Shook

Varsity Four: Coxswain Sarah Jordan, Ruth Retzinger, Kaity McCullough, Chelsea Simpson, Caroline Sweeny