June 3, 2011
Full Results
MADISON, Wis. – Hump day at the 2011 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship is complete and the Badgers got over the hump by sending four boats to Saturday’s grand finals. Racing took place Friday on the Cooper River in Camden and Cherry Hill, N.J.
"It was a pretty good day for the Badgers," said Head Coach Chris Clark. "There are seven events we are competiting in – five for the men and two for the lightweight women – and we have six of our seven boats in the grand final."
The men's varsity eight did what it needed to do to return to the national championship race for the first time since winning the national title in 2008. Racing in a semifinal with unbeaten crews Harvard and Washington, the Badgers placed third with a time of 5:30.714 for 2000 meters.
"The first eight is so incredibly unforgiving that you don’t learn on the job here," said Clark. "You are either going to make it or you are not."
The Badgers started relatively slow off the line, but remained in a group behind Washington at 500 meters. By the midpoint of the race, the Badgers were battling Harvard for second, with Stanford and Yale nipping at their heels. Then with 500 meters left and Washington leading the race over Harvard, Wisconsin and Stanford, the Crimson pushed through to take the lead and win the semifinal in a blazing 5:25.889. Washington placed second in 5:27.607, while the Badgers held of a charge by Stanford (5:31.346) to grab the third and final spot in the grand final.
In the grand final, the Badgers will meet California, Brown, Princeton, Harvard and Washington for the national championship.
"This particular group of guys has an immense top-end speed and it comes very easily to team," Clark explained. "But as I’ve said all year, we are very inexperienced. Other than this year, there is no IRA or Eastern Sprints medalist in that group. There are no three-year varsity rowers in there either.
"I think it comes as a shock to them when they are in contention at the 1000. It sounds silly, but it is characteristic of what a freshman crew would do. Let’s hope over the next 24 hours, they can come to realize that they are pretty good and really row a complete race. That’s something they haven’t done all year yet, but we are pleased.
"There is no chance to win a medal, let alone win, if you are not in a grand final and that is where they are, so they are happy."
For the seventh-consecutive year, Wisconsin’s second varsity eight reached the grand final, and will have a chance for its fifth medal during that stretch. The Badgers started their semifinal first off the line and held a slight lead over Yale at the 500-meter mark. Still in the lead by 1000 meters, Wisconsin gave up their edge to Harvard during the third 500 meters of the race. From there, Wisconsin cruised and placed second behind the Crimson. Princeton edged Brown for the final grand final spot, as Yale, Penn and Dartmouth rounded out the seven-boat semifinal placements.
The race was a seven-boat semifinal due to debris breaking Yale’s skeg during a Thursday morning heat. Yale petitioned the result and was advanced to today’s semifinal round, forcing the seven-boat race.
"The second varsity had a very strong race," analyzed Clark. "They let Harvard come through them a little bit, but they were still second. With it being the seventh year in a row for the second varsity eight in the grand final, that is a real testament to our depth and the hard work of our guys.
"Making the grand final at the IRA in any event is difficult and there is so much emphasis placed on the first varsity that there is a little self-guidance with them. They do a heck of a job and don’t get near the attention. I’m real proud of those guys and hopefully tomorrow they can contend for a medal, as well."
The open four became the first Badger boat to make a final when it captured the first men’s race of the day by winning repechage one. Wisconsin’s time of 6:29.738 bested Yale (6:34.337), Pennsylvania (6:42.746) and California (6:47.853) and claimed the first of two spots in the grand final from the race. Yale will join the Badgers, as well as Navy, Harvard, Washington and Cornell in Saturday’s championship race.
The Badger varsity four also reached the national title race, squeaking into the grand final by 0.335 seconds. With the top three crews advancing out of the semifinals, Washington crossed the finish in 6:15.470 to take the top spot. Places second through fourth crossed with just over a second of each other as Drexel placed second in 6:19.948, the Badgers took third in 6:20.644 and Georgetown missed out on a trip to the grand finals with a time of 6:20.979.
"The open four rep was good for us and we advanced," Clark stated. "The varsity four was a little more dramatic for us but we made it through. That made this the third year in a row we’ve had both fours in the grand final, so that is good."
Wisconsin freshman eight enjoyed a day off from compeition after falling short of qualifying for the semifinals during Thursday's racing. The boat will race Saturday in the third level final for places 13-17.
"It should be an exciting day," said Clark about Saturday's finals. "It’s fun when you are in contention. The pressure is really off and now it is just ‘swinging for the fences.’ In race sports, there’s an enormous amount of pressure on semifinal day, whereas the final days are a relief for most of the athletes.
"Depending on where they are in their careers, it will be the final time to don a Badger jersey and go out and compete and that’s an emotional moment for them. Even if you are not a senior, it still is a long, nine-month campaign beginning in early September and it ends tomorrow. That is significant for all of them."
2011 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships
Cooper River
Camden/Cherry Hill, N.J.
2000 meters
June 3, 2011
Varsity Eight
Semifinal 2 (Top three to Saturday grand final, rest to petite final)
1. Harvard, 5:25.889; 2. Washington, 5:27.607; 3. Wisconsin, 5:30.714; 4. Stanford, 5:31.346; 5. Yale, 5:39.469; 6. Georgetown, 5:50.271
UW Lineup: Coxswain Anthony Altimari, Andrew Gallagher, Michael Kaufman, Tim Aghai, Luke Juckett, Daniel Gengler, Dan Agostinacchio, Cody Rissman, Sam Hoidal
Second Varsity Eight
Semifinal 2 (Top three to Saturday grand final, rest to petite final)
No times available for places 2-7
1. Harvard, 5:41.800; 2. Wisconsin; 3. Princeton; 4. Brown; 5. Yale; 6. Pennsylvania; 7. Dartmouth
UW Lineup: Coxswain Michael Patinkin, Dave Lucas, Christopher Stiles, Daniel Moore, Zach Rodenbough, Matthew Hinkamp, Liam Saunders, Ryan Thompson, Ben Ruble
Open Four
Repechage 1 (Top two to Saturday grand final, rest to petite final)
1. Wisconsin, 6:29.738; 2. Yale, 6:34.337; 3. Pennsylvania, 6:42.746; 4. California, 6:47.853
UW Lineup: Christopher Lawrence, Steve Dudek, Connor Cahill, John Schoback, Alec Schlemmer
Varsity Four
Semifinal 1 (Top three to Saturday grand final, rest to petite final)
1. Washington, 6:15.470; 2. Drexel, 6:19.948; 3. Wisconsin, 6:20.644; 4. Georgetown, 6:20.979; 5. Temple, 6:30.914; 6. Syracuse, 6:38.127
UW Lineup: Eric Rhiel, Jack Yeksigian, Will Porter, Brad Betts, Lowell McNicholas
SATURDAY RACES
Varsity Eight Grand Final
Yale, Wisconsin, Harvard, Washington, Stanford, Georgetown
Second Varsity Eight Grand Final
Cornell, California, Harvard, Washington, Wisconsin, Princeton
Varsity Four Grand Final
Brown, Drexel, Navy, Washington, Stanford, Wisconsin
Open Four Grand Final
Navy, Wisconsin, Harvard, Washington, Cornell, Yale
Freshman Eight Third Level Final
Pennsylvania, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Yale, Gonzaga
