June 4, 2011
MADISON, Wis. – The underclassmen in the Badgers' varsity lightweight four boat didn't let their lack of experience get in the way during their final race of the 2010-11 season on Saturday.
Because of that, they're national champions.
The Wisconsin crew, led by freshman coxswain Jenna Pavelec, won the women's varsity lightweight four grand final Saturday morning at the 2011 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships. Racing took place on the Cooper River in Camden and Cherry Hill, N.J.
The Badgers finished in 7:26.319, just over 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Stanford (7:38.425). UW qualified for the grand final by winning its heat by 21 seconds on Friday over Harvard, who finished third.
Head coach Erik Miller credits the win to something the entire team has been working on all season – getting just the right combination of rowers in the right boats.
“It was pretty competitive between the Eastern Sprints and the IRA's to try to make it into that boat, and the result was a quick combination that clicked right away,” he said.
“It shows the fantastic depth of our program that we were that far ahead of boats the rest of the field.”
In addition to Pavelec, the championship boat included freshmen Christin Wiegand and Emily Finch and sophomores Abby Knight and Meredith Freshley.
“It is a young group with lots of room for improvement, but they set a high bar for themselves today,” said Miller.
The third-ranked varsity lightweight eight was looking for its third national title in four years, but the Badgers had to get past powerhouses Princeton and Stanford to do so.
In the end, the Cardinal won its second straight title in the race, finishing in 6:32.392. Wisconsin's top boat finished in 6:40.311, good for the bronze medal.
Despite the finish, Miller says that it's a good thing for the sport as a whole.
“Over the past few years the competition at the sharp end of the light eight has gotten a lot more challenging,” he explained. “It is great for the sport to have this high level of competition.”
Wisconsin loses six seniors to graduation, including four who raced on Saturday.
“I'm thankful to the four seniors who raced here today for all of the hard work they've put in over the last four years,” Miller said. “Grace Lautman, Johanna Brady, Shelly Miller and Breanne Lynch have given a fantastic amount of effort to the program, and set a great example for the younger members of the team.
“Besides the four seniors, everybody else racing here was a freshman or sophomore, so we are still a young squad and I think we gained some valuable experience this season.
“The entire team this season did a good job of working hard, supporting each other, and trusting each other and the coaches. It has been fun to be a part of.”
2011 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships
Cooper River
Camden/Cherry Hill, N.J.
2000 meters
June 4, 2011
Varsity Lightweight Eight Grand Final
1. Stanford, 6:32.392; 2. Princeton, 6:33.073; 3. Wisconsin, 6:40.311; 4. Harvard, 6:42.471; 5. Bucknell, 6:50.481; 6. Georgetown, 6:57.578
UW Lineup: Coxswain Shelly Miller, Breanne Lynch, Jessica Lund, Grace Lautman, Hillary Schmidt, Allie Brown, Helen Beckner, Johanna Brady, Constance Chucholowski
Varsity Lightweight Four Grand Final
1. Wisconsin, 7:26.319; 2. Stanford, 7:38.425; 3. Harvard, 7:40.838; 4. Loyola (MD), 7:42.424; 5. Princeton, 7:54.439; 6. Tulas, 8:10.046
UW Lineup: Coxswain Jenna Pavelec, Christin Wiegand, Abby Knight, Emily Finch, Meredith Freshley
