No. 3 Virginia Advances To Two Grand Finals on Day Two at NCAAs

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GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Virginia’s Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four advanced to Sunday’s grand finals in those events on day two of the 2011 NCAA Rowing Championships on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif. The Varsity Four won its semifinal and the Second Varsity Eight finished second in its race. In its semifinal, Virginia’s Varsity Eight finished fifth and will compete in Sunday’s petite final.

The grand final of each event determines places first through sixth, while the petite final determines seventh through 12th. The Varsity Four grand final will begin at 1:25 p.m. (EDT) and will feature California, Southern California, Washington, Wisconsin and Stanford in addition to the Cavaliers.

The Second Varsity Eight grand final will take place at 2:15 p.m. (EDT) and will feature Brown, Southern California, Stanford, California and Ohio State in addition to the Cavaliers.

The Varsity Eight petite final will begin at 2:45 p.m. (EDT) and matches up Virginia against Washington, Wisconsin, Yale, Washington State and Michigan. In the grand final (3:05 p.m.), crews from Southern California, Princeton, California, Stanford, Brown and Michigan State will vie for the national championship in that event.

Following Saturday afternoon’s semifinal action, California, Southern California and Stanford are the three schools that advanced crews into all three grand finals.

Virginia’s Varsity Four (coxswain Sarah Jordan, Ruth Retzinger, Kaity McCullough, Chelsea Simpson and Caroline Sweeny) improved to 2-0 at this year’s NCAA Championships, winning its semifinal with a time of 7:31.22. In second place was Wisconsin (7:36.81), followed by Stanford (7:39.27). UVa’s crew got off to a good start and created separation between itself and the field by the halfway point of the race. With 750 meters to go, Virginia held a one boat length lead of open water over second-place Wisconsin and came away with the victory.

A season ago, Virginia’s Varsity Four claimed the national championship race and became the seventh UVa crew to do so.

In the Second Varsity Eight semifinal, the Virginia crew of coxswain Molly Frear, MacKenzie Leahy, Taylor Levine, Carolyn Glandorf, Brandy Herald, Morgan Joseph, Marelle Myers, Cara Linnenkohl and Lauren Shook fell just behind of the reigning champion in the event, Brown, and held on for second place with a time of (6:40.34). The Bears were first (6:36.90) and Southern California finished third (6:42.04).

The Varsity Eight of coxswain Sidney Thorsten, Kristine O’Brien, Christine Roper, Fiona Schlesinger, Martha Kuzzy, Keziah Beall, Sarah Borchelt, Claudia Blandford and Carli Goldberg finished in fifth place (6:37.91) behind Southern California (6:26.60), Princeton (6:28.34), California (6:31.04) and Washington (6:37.37). Sixth place went to Wisconsin (6:41.46).

2011 NCAA Championships
Lake Natoma | Gold River, Calif.
Sunday, May 29

Eastern Time Event
12:50 p.m. Varsity Four Third Level Harvard, Michigan State, Clemson, Dartmouth
1:05 p.m. Varsity Four Petite Final Ohio State, Princeton, Brown, Washington State, Yale, Michigan
1:25 p.m. Varsity Four Grand Final Virginia, Cal, Wisconsin, USC, Washington, Stanford
1:40 p.m. Second Varsity Eight Third Level Dartmouth, Harvard, Clemson
1:55 p.m. Second Varsity Eight Petite Final Washington, Princeton, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington State, Yale
2:15 p.m. Second Varsity Eight Grand Final Stanford, Brown, Virginia, Cal, Ohio State, USC
2:30 p.m. Varsity Eight Third Level Harvard, Ohio State, Dartmouth, Clemson
2:45 p.m. Varsity Eight Petite Final Yale, Washington, Washington State, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin
3:05 p.m. Varsity Eight Grand Final USC, Stanford, Princeton, Brown, California, Michigan State

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