Badgers send all three boats to semifinals at NCAAs
May 27, 2011 | Women's Rowing
May 27, 2011
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GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- All three Wisconsin crews advanced to Saturday semifinals at the 2011 NCAA Rowing Championships on Friday. The three-day event is taking place on Lake Natoma.
"It was a really good day for us," said Head Coach Bebe Bryans. "We were professional. We came here to be at our best, and I think we were today, so we are pretty happy with that."
The varsity four won its heat with the fastest time of the day in the event, overcoming an interruption from a false start by Yale in the heat's first try. Cruising in second place for much of the race, the Badgers pushed ahead of Washington over the final 500 meters to clock a 7:20.60. The Huskies placed second in 7:23.57.
The victory advanced the Badgers to Saturday's semifinal round, where they will take on Virginia, Ohio State, Stanford, Washington State and Yale for a chance to reach Sunday's grand final. The top three boats advance to the grand final.
Wisconsin's second varsity eight also advanced to Saturday's semifinals by placing third in what turned out a controversial final result. California won the heat in 6:37.04, with Virginia second in 6:40.87 and the Badgers third with a 6:42.20 for the 2000-meter course. Michigan State looked to be outside looking in and headed to an afternoon repechage as the fourth-place crew, but California's boat came in underweight in the post-race weight check and was relegated to the repechage instead.
It turns out the weight issue would follow to the second varsity eight repechage later in the day when host-school Washington State was also underweight after qualifying for the semifinals. The Cougars marked the fourth boat of the day to fall short of the minimum weight, including a pair of Division II fours. It was eventually determined the scale was not set correctly and WSU will now take part in a seven-boat semifinal.
That semifinal includes the Badgers, as well as California, Stanford, Ohio State, Washington, Washington State and Yale.
Wisconsin's varsity eight, the 16th and last seed in the event, nearly pulled off one of the upsets of the first day, placing fourth in its heat and finishing just outside one of the morning's nine semifinal spots.
Wisconsin started fast and reached the 500-meter mark in second place. The Badgers had dropped to fifth by 1000 meters, but pushed back up to fourth by 1500 meters, where it would eventually finish.
With the top three boats in each heat advancing to Saturday semifinals, Stanford took heat three in 6:23.67. Fellow Pac-10 boat USC crossed the line second in 6:28.86, with Washington third in 6:33.68. The Badgers sat within striking distance, just over a half second out of the final spot with 500 meters left, but went on to place fourth in 6:34.81.
However, the Badgers took advantage of their second chance in the afternoon repechage, winning the race and claiming one of the final three semifinal positions. The Badgers will race Princeton, USC, California, Virginia and Washington on Saturday, with the top three advancing to Sunday's grand final.
Wisconsin also captured its spare pair race, an non-counting event taking place after all official racing was completed on Friday.
Racing resumes Saturday at 11 a.m. CT with Wisconsin's varsity eight semifinal.
2011 NCAA Rowing Championships
Lake Natoma
Gold River, Calif.
2000 meters
May 27, 2011
Varsity Eight
Repechage (Top three advance to Saturday semifinals, rest to third-level final)
1. Wisconsin, 6:53.66; 2. Washington, 6:53.82; 3. Michigan, 6:56.07; 4. Harvard, 6:57.43; 5. Ohio State, 6:58.76; 6. Dartmouth, 7:00.60; 7. Clemson, 7:08.27
Heat 3 (Top three advance to Saturday semifinals, rest to afternoon repechage)
1. Stanford, 6:23.67; 2. USC, 6:28.86; 3. Washington State, 6:33.68; 4. Wisconsin, 6:34.81; 5. Ohio State, 6:36.42; 6. Harvard, 6:45.22
UW Lineup: Coxswain Kendall Schmidt, Rachel Buchholtz, Hayley Leinss, Jacquelyn Koykkar, Lisa Godhardt, Caitlin Mueller, Katelyn Swanson, Anna Schettle, Vanessa Kleiss
Second Varsity Eight
Heat 3 (Top three advance to Saturday semifinals, rest to afternoon repechage)
1. Virginia, 6:40.87; 2. Wisconsin, 6:42.20; 3. Michigan State, 6:45.70; 4. Washington State, 6:47.39; 5. Harvard, 7:00.86; California, 6:37.04 (relegated - underweight)
UW Lineup: Coxswain Jane Roberts, Amy Slesar, Lauren Pietila, Kate Mansfield, Margaret Yale, Hanna Lynch, Briana Pittman, Rebekah Foelker, Kirsten Morelli
Varsity Four
Heat 2 (Top three advance to Saturday semifinals, rest to afternoon repechage)
1. Wisconsin, 7:20.60; 2. Washington, 7:23.57; 3. Washington State, 7:30.00; 4. Yale, 7:36.04; 5. Harvard, 7:46.51
UW Lineup: Coxswain Clare Chandler, Mollie Kryka, Shannon Hoffman, Shannon Schlack, Katherine Hanes
Varsity Pair
UW Lineup: Leah Gustafson, Monica Whitehouse
