Cavaliers Finish Fifth at NCAA Championships
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June 1, 2014
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INDIANAPOLIS–Behind third-place finishes from the Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four, the Virginia rowing team finished fifth at the NCAA Championships Sunday (June 1) at Eagle Creek Park Lake. The Cavaliers have finished in the top six at the national regatta in each of the last eight years.
Virginia finished fifth with 105 points. Ohio State won the NCAA title for the second consecutive season with 126 points, followed by California (118), Brown (116) and Stanford (110). Princeton was sixth (102), while Washington (101), Michigan (101), Notre Dame (81) and USC (72) rounded out the top 10.
“Our Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four had a great day earning medals and while fifth place in the team standings is not where we want to be, it is also not something to be distraught about,” UVa head coach Kevin Sauer said. “What I love about this team is that when the Varsity Eight did not have the best of weekends, the 2V8 and V4 were right there to pick them up emotionally and mentally, and at the awards ceremony, the loudest cheers for the 2V8 and V4 came from the V8. That’s the definition of being a team and I am very proud of this program.”
In the Varsity Eight petite final, the Cavaliers placed second (eighth overall) in 6:55.906 to Princeton, who posted a time of 6:51.795. The Tigers jumped out to a big lead and UVa was not able to recover, but were able to defeat crews from Notre Dame, Indiana, Harvard and USC.
| Final Standings | ||
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1. | Ohio State | 126 |
| 2. | California | 118 |
| 3. | Brown | 116 |
| 4. | Stanford | 110 |
| 5. | Virginia | 105 |
| 6. | Princeton | 102 |
| 7. | Washington* | 101 |
| 8. | Michigan | 101 |
| 9. | Notre Dame | 81 |
| 10. | USC | 72 |
| * Earned tiebreaker over UM for finishing higher in V8 |
||
Virginia’s Second Varsity Eight was in fourth at the halfway point, but was able to take over Stanford for third in a time of 7:02.685 and just behind Princeton (7:02.028). Ohio State won the race in a time of 6:59.434. Stanford finished fourth in 7:04.888, followed by California and Brown. It is the seventh time UVa’s 2V8 has medaled and the first time since 2005.
“The Second Varsity Eight had maybe its best race of the season,” assistant coach Joshua Gautreau said. “To be walking away with a medal with six newcomers to the program (five freshmen and a transfer) and to have that kind of race is a tremendous accomplishment.”
The Varsity Four stayed close to the pack, which saw early charges from California and Brown, and was in fifth place at the 1,000-meter mark, but passed Washington and Brown to finish third in 7:45.948, behind only California (7:43.088) and Stanford (7:44.379). Brown (7:47.978) was fourth, followed by Washington and USC. It is the 11th time Virginia’s V4 has medaled.
“The Varsity Four did exactly what we talked about, which was to step up each day,” assistant coach Brett Sickler said. “They had a great last 1,000 (meters), and the best sprint of the year. Also they were able to medal which is great because last year, we were one position off the podium.”
Virginia has now finished in the top five at 13 of the 18 NCAA Championships to be held.
Virginia Lineups
Varsity Eight: Coxswain: Sarah Jordan, Stroke: Constanze Duell, 7: Chandler Lally, 6: Georgia Ratcliff, 5: Brandy Herald, 4: Fiona Schlesinger, 3: Lizzy Youngling, 2: Hemingway Benton, Bow: Elle Murray
Second Varsity Eight: Coxswain: Sarah McGovern, Stroke: Ellen Pate, 7: Janey Brennan, 6: Kaitlin Fanikos, 5: Hannah Osborne, 4: Erin Briggs, 3: Sam Casto, 2: Catherine Multari, Bow: Jo Gurman
Varsity Four: Coxswain: Julia Roithmayr, Stroke: Hannah Solis-Cohen, 3: Ella van der Haar, 2: Mackenzi Sherman, Bow: Kaity McCullough