Badgers Dominate at First Outing of the Year
September 17, 2005 | Women's Rowing
MADISON, Wis. - Clear skies, warm temperatures, and a slight breeze welcomed the Wisconsin women's rowing teams to their first regatta of the season. The Milwaukee River Challenge continually proves to be a well-run and well-publicized event, this year being no exception. The downtown location of the river is ideal for racing, bringing in many spectators, media, and locals who eagerly line the riverwalk in order to catch a piece of the action.
After only two weeks of practice the Badgers made a strong appearance in Milwaukee, a majority of the boats entered proudly earning top place finishes.
"The Badgers definately rowed well for being so early in the season and did a lot of their homework over the summer to be in shape to race the number of events they did today," said lightweight varsity coach Mary Shofner.
First up for the Badgers were the fours, beginning at 11:30. The Wisconsin women dominated the event, confidently crossing the finish line collecting first through fifth place victories. The openweight "A" boat finished with a time of 23:30.78, followed closely behind by the lightweight four with a time of 23:34.48. Three other Wisconsin boats completed the 2.2 mile race in 8th, 11th, and 18th places.
The beautiful weather prevailed into the afternoon hours, allowing the eights an opportunity to experience the great rowing conditions. The boats did a nice job moving together and powerfully, performing very well overall. First through fourth places were claimed by Wisconsin boats, the openweight eight finishing with a time of 21:07.45. The lightweight eight boat clocked in at 21:45.23, the second openweight boat at 21:59.54, and the second lightweight boat at 22:47.07.
The Badgers look forward to their upcoming fall season. The team will next be preparing for the Head of the Rock on October 9.
