Courtesy: Jim Daves/UVa Media Relations Virginia's Varsity Eight
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The 11th-ranked Virginia rowing team will have one boat in the grand final of each event after completing day one at the 2009 South/Central Regional Championships at Melton Lake. Highlighted by semifinal victories by the Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight, Varsity Four and First Novice Eight, Virginia will look to defend its overall team title when action continues on Sunday.
After winning its heat in the morning session by nearly 12 seconds, UVa’s Varsity Eight of coxswain Sidney Thorsten, Jennifer Cromwell, Helen Tompkins, Desiree Burns, Amanda Chase, Lauren Hutchins, Augusta Stratos, Nora Phillips and Victoria Burke followed up that performance with another victory in its A/B semifinal.
Virginia’s time of 6:04.8 bested second-place Ohio State’s time of 6:08.9 and third-place Michigan State’s time of 6:09.5.
In Sunday’s Varsity Eight grand final, Virginia will race against the Buckeyes and Spartans, as well as Michigan, Wisconsin and Clemson.
The Second Varsity Eight (coxswain Cristine Candland, Lauren Shook, Claudia Blandford, Marie Long, Cara Linnenkohl, Martha Kuzzy, Bridget Fowler, Christine Roper, Susie Chalker) also came up with two victories on the day. Its preliminary victory time was 6:29.80, while the semifinal victory time was 6:08.9.
In the Second Varsity Eight grand final, UVa will compete with Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin for the championship.
In the Varsity Four, Virginia’s crew of coxswain Sarah Pichardo, Ruth Retzinger, Summers Nelson, Caroline Sweeny and Shalane Carlson put together two great races as well. After winning its preliminary heat with a time of 7:13.0, UVa came back in its semifinal to defeat Clemson with a time of 6:56.00.
The Varsity Four grand final will feature Virginia, Michigan, Clemson, Ohio State, Minnesota and Notre Dame.
The First Novice Eight won its semifinal over Clemson with a time of 6:31.10 to advance to the grand final. That crew of coxswain Chloe Delaney, MacKenzie Leahy, Marelle Myers, Morgan Joseph, Ana Tucker, Keziah Beall, Sarah Borchelt, Chelsea Simpson and Hannah Silver was 2-0 on the day, as it won its preliminary heat as well.
The Novice Eight will compete in Sunday’s grand final against Oklahoma, Michigan, Wisconsin, Central Florida and Duke.
The Second Novice Eight (coxswain Sarah Shanfield, Elspeth Missel, Liza Tullis, Jenny Shultis, Elizabeth Webb, Felicity Fisk, Francesca Lauritano, Anne Peck and Katherine Stewart) finished fourth in the semifinal (6:39.68) and will compete in the petite final. That race features Alabama, Michigan State, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Virginia’s Open Four ‘B’ will race in the grand final, after finishing in third place in its semifinal with a time of 7:09.34. That crew of coxswain Taylor Gilmore, Mariana Lima, Pamela Baylor, Lieve Pitts, Colleen Bauk will race against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Clemson ‘A’ and Oklahoma.
UVa’s Open Four ‘A’ will race in the petite final, after finishing fourth in its semifinal with a time of 7:13.23. The crew of coxswain Laura Hendrie, Hannah Jenkins, Lauren Heimburg, Erin Hawes, Megan Hooley will compete against Iowa ‘A’, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Duke ‘A’ and Clemson ‘B’.
Action from Melton Lake begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, as Virginia is going for its sixth South Region Championship in the last seven years.
No. 11 Virginia at South/Central Regionals May 16, 2009 | Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Semifinal Results EVENT: VARSITY EIGHT A/B Semifinal 1: 1. Virginia (6:04.8); 2. Ohio State (6:08.9); 3. Michigan State (6:09.5); 4. Louisville (6:14.3); 5. Iowa (6:15.6); 6. Kansas State (6:34.3) • (Virginia lineup: Coxswain Sidney Thorsten, Jennifer Cromwell, Helen Tompkins, Desiree Burns, Amanda Chase, Lauren Hutchins, Augusta Stratos, Nora Phillips, Victoria Burke)
EVENT: SECOND VARSITY EIGHT A/B Semifinal 1: 1. Virginia (6:08.9); 2. Michigan State (6:09.3); 3. Clemson (6:15.8); 4. Notre Dame (6:16.0); 5. Iowa (6:18.9); 6. Louisville (6:34.3) • (Virginia lineup: Coxswain Cristine Candland, Lauren Shook, Claudia Blandford, Marie Long, Cara Linnenkohl, Martha Kuzzy, Bridget Fowler, Christine Roper, Susie Chalker)
EVENT: VARSITY FOUR A/B Semifinal 1: 1. Virginia (6:56.00); 2. Clemson (6:58.7); 3. Notre Dame (6:59.10); 4. Michigan State (7:00.2); 5. Central Florida (7:09.80); 6. Indiana (7:23.50) • (Virginia lineup: Coxswain Sarah Pichardo, Ruth Retzinger, Summers Nelson, Caroline Sweeny, Shalane Carlson)
EVENT: NOVICE EIGHT A/B Semifinal 1: 1. Virginia ‘A’ (6:31.10); 2. Central Florida (6:34.90); 3. Oklahoma ‘A’ (6:37.30); 4. Virginia ‘B’ (6:39.68); 5. Michigan State (6:40.50); 6. Notre Dame (6:43.6) • (Virginia ‘A’ lineup: Coxswain Chloe Delaney, MacKenzie Leahy, Marelle Myers, Morgan Joseph, Ana Tucker, Keziah Beall, Sarah Borchelt, Chelsea Simpson, Hannah Silver) • (Virginia ‘B’ lineup: Coxswain Sarah Shanfield, Elspeth Missel, Liza Tullis, Jenny Shultis, Elizabeth Webb, Felicity Fisk, Francesca Lauritano, Anne Peck, Katherine Stewart)
EVENT: OPEN FOUR A/B Semifinal 1: 1: Michigan (7:04.40); 2. Clemson ‘A’ (7:07.30); 3. Virginia ‘B’ (7:09.34); 4. Notre Dame ‘A’ (7:12.20); 5. Duke ‘A’ (7:16.8) • (Virginia ‘B’ lineup: Coxswain Taylor Gilmore, Mariana Lima, Pamela Baylor, Lieve Pitts, Colleen Bauk) A/B Semifinal 2: 1. Wisconsin (7:07.8); 2. Ohio State (7:11.55); 3. Oklahoma (7:12.94); 4. Virginia ‘A’ (7:13.23); 5. Michigan State (7:23.57); 6. Clemson ‘B’ (7:28.44) • (Virginia ‘A’ lineup: Coxswain Laura Hendrie, Hannah Jenkins, Lauren Heimburg, Erin Hawes, Megan Hooley) Preliminary Results EVENT: VARSITY EIGHT Heat D: 1. Virginia (6:23.00); 2. Clemson (6:35.48); 3. Kansas State (6:38.61); 4. Indiana (6:46.89); 5. Eastern Michigan (7:06.27)
Full Scoreboard
Courtesy: Jim Daves/UVa Media Relations
