Men's rowing dominates Michigan to open season
April 07, 2012 | Men's Rowing
April 7, 2012
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MADISON, Wis.-- The No. 5 Wisconsin men's rowing team opened the 2012 season in a big way Saturday with a seven-race sweep over No. 19 Michigan on Lake Mendota.
It was a beautiful April day with nearly flat water, a slight headwind and no clouds as the Badgers cruised to seven victories on the two-kilometer course.
"The weather was fantastic," head coach Chris Clark said. "At this time of year we have inclement weather half the time, so that right there was a good start to the day."
Wisconsin's four varsity eights had impressive showings. The four finishing times were separated by less than 10 seconds, showcasing the depth of Wisconsin's boats.
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The day got off to a great start on the water, as the first varsity eight captured the first win of the day. The Badgers' top boat, ranked fifth in the latest USRowing coaches poll, got off to a quick start and defeated No. 19 Wolverines by more than 14 seconds. Wisconsin crossed the finish line in 6:03.0, while Michigan finished in 6:17.3.
The second varsity eight was the closest race of the day, as the Badgers finished in 6:08.0, edging Michigan by 8.8 seconds.
"The second varsity race was by far the most competitive race," Clark said. "Michigan's crew really had a great boat, and they really pushed us."
As competitive as the second varsity eight race was, the third varsity eight race demonstrated Wisconsin's dominance. UW finished in 6:10.9, nearly 19 seconds faster than Michigan's 6:29.5.
"Our third eight just jumped," Clark said. "Of all the varsity eights, it might have been the most dominant, it was fun to watch them race."
In the fourth varsity eight race, Wisconsin raced two boats, the second of which was a mix of varsity and novice rowers. The Badgers' fourth varsity boat finished in 6:12.6, followed by the mixed boat in 6:23.7. Michigan finished in 6:39.5
Wisconsin's novices were equally impressive, winning all three freshman races. The Badgers' top boat finished in 6:12.3, beating Michigan's top freshman boat, which finished in 6:25.7. UW's second and third boat finished in 6:25.1 and 6:38.0 respectively, both at least 20 seconds faster than the Wolverines.
"The freshman did well and looked good," Clark said. "It was a pretty good freshman performance, definitely the best crew I've seen in a while."
The Badgers have a quick turnaround for their next race, as they head to California for the Stanford Invitational on April 15.
Lineups
1st Varsity Eight
Coxswain: Michael Patinkin, Leon Suvak, Christopher Stiles, Luke Juckett, Tim Aghai, Dan Agostinacchio, Cody Rissman, Andrew Weiland, Ben Ruble
2nd Varsity Eight
Coxswain: Eric Rhiel, Kyle Anderson, Lowell McNicholas, Ryan Thompson, Dan Gengler, Charles Holtz, Matthew Hinkamp, Sam Hoidal, Mitchell King
3rd Varsity Eight
Coxswain: Leonard Manning, Brad Betts, Zach Niemayer, Kevin Ripley, Connor Cahill, Logan Silber, Connor Heck, Brandon Hall, Samuel Aeschbacher, Phil Stubna, Charlie Fasbender
4th Varsity Eight
Coxswain: Oliver Buchino, Matt Yeksigian, Sean Tuffy, Logan Hietpas, Alec Hub, Woodrow Stensland, Travis Breunig, Jonathan Smaglick, Casey Klein Kennedy
5th Varsity/Novice Eight
Coxswain: Robert Greco, James Hadar, Beau Batty, John Fay, Kyle Smith, Robert Wagner, Max Vielmetti, Chase Tarrier, Charlie Clapp
1st Novice Eight
Coxswain: Maxwell Frey, Garret Voorhees, William Horvat, Jordan Friendshuh, William Bleifuss, Peter Kennedy, Pat Cadle, Andrew Stone, Steve Berg Jr.
2nd Novice Eight
Coxswain: Robert Greco, Sterling Chapin, Johnathan Kapinus, Eli Sankey, John Fay, Kyle Smith, Ryley Ruzek, Robert Wagner, Max Vielmetti
3rd Novice Eight
Coxswain: Jangwon Kwon, Christopher Gall, Nathan Carpenter, Logan Silber, Connor Heck, Brandon Hall, Samuel Aeschbacher, Phil Stubna, Jordan Friendshuh
