April 15, 2012
| Stanford Invitational
Redwood Shores • Stanford, Calif.
Distance: 2 Kilometers | |
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Varsity Eight
| | 1. | Wisconsin | 5:41.8 | | 2. | Stanford | 5:42.0 | | Varsity Eight B
| | 1. | Wisconsin | 5:54.8 | | 2. | Stanford | 6:02.1 | | Freshman Eight
| | 1. | Wisconsin | 6:03.3 | | 2. | Stanford | 6:17.2 | | |
MADISON, Wis.-- The No. 4 Wisconsin men’s rowing team wrapped up the Stanford Invitational with an impressive finish against Stanford Sunday, sweeping the 10th-ranked host in three races in Redwood Shores, Calif.
After losing two of three races against No. 3 California Saturday morning and sweeping No. 18 Oregon State later that afternoon, the Badgers were hoping for strong final races from the first and second varsity eights and novice eight.
| Fast Facts | | • Badgers win seven of nine races at Stanford Invitational, including the final six | | • Wisconsin's first varsity eight wins by just .2 seconds | | • UW's first varsity and novice eights post faster times in three consecutive races in California | |
The varsity eight race was as close as it gets, with Badgers edging the Cardinal by just .2 seconds. Wisconsin’s boat crossed the finish line in 5:41.8, about one foot ahead of Stanford. The back-and-forth race was close for the first 1,500 meters before Stanford appeared to pull away with 500 meters remaining.
“The varsity eight race was a real barnburner,” Head coach Chris Clark said. “It was give-and-take the whole way, and Stanford took the lead with about 500 meters to go, but somehow we managed to win.”
The second varsity eight and novice eight races did not provide as much drama, as both Badger boats finished with healthy leads. The second varsity eight finished in 5:54.8, 6.3 seconds ahead of Stanford, while the novice eight won by nearly 14 seconds, crossing the finish line in 6:03.3.
“They got faster and faster on the clock every race, which is very hard to do,” Clark said of the novice eight’s three weekend races. “They looked great and they have some serious potential in that group, it’s fun to watch.”
Despite the impressive showing for the Badgers this weekend against three strong crews, Clark and the Badgers know they have the potential for faster times and a more dominating performance.
“We are happy to escape with seven of nine wins, but there’s a feeling of dissatisfaction, knowing how well we could have raced,” Clark said.
Wisconsin will have a week off as they prepare to host Boston and Dartmouth on April 28. The home race on Lake Mendota is the final race for the Badgers before the Eastern Association of Rowing College Championships in mid May.
Wisconsin Lineups
1st Varsity Eight
Coxswain: Michael Patinkin, Leon Suvak, Tim Aghai, Luke Juckett, Ben Ruble, Dan Agostinacchio, Mitchell King, Sam Hoidal, Christopher Stiles
2nd Varsity Eight
Eric Rhiel, Brad Betts, Lowell McNicholas, Ryan Thompson, Connor Cahill, Charles Holtz, Matthew Hinkamp, Andrew Weiland, Cody Rissman
Novice Eight
Coxswain: Maxwell Frey, William Bleifuss, Peter Kennedy, Andrew Stone, Jordan Friendshuh, Pat Cadle, Garret Voorhees, William Horvat, Steve Berg Jr.
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