Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Team captains Amanda Chase, Lauren Hutchins and Augusta Stratos with the South Region championship trophy

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Led by victories in the Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and Novice Eight, the 11th-ranked Virginia rowing team won the overall South/Central Regional Championship and the South Region Championship Sunday at Melton Lake.

Virginia has now won the South Region six times in the last seven years (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) and the South/Central team championship five times in the last six seasons (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009).

UVa finished with 387 points to take the overall team title, followed by Central Regional Champion Michigan with 348 points. Rounding out the top five was Ohio State (328), Wisconsin (321) and Michigan State (320).

“I’m just very proud of our entire team,” Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer said. “And I’m proud of how they performed today across the board.”

The Varsity Eight of coxswain Sidney Thorsten, Jennifer Cromwell, Helen Tompkins, Desiree Burns, Amanda Chase, Lauren Hutchins, Augusta Stratos, Nora Phillips and Victoria Burke wrapped up a 3-0 weekend with a two-second victory in the grand final. The Cavaliers’ winning time of 6:03.2 bested second-place Michigan’s of 6:05.8.

Michigan’s Varsity Eight entered the South/Central Regional Championships ranked No. 6 by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA), while third-place finisher Michigan State was ranked No. 3.

The Second Varsity Eight (coxswain Cristine Candland, Lauren Shook, Claudia Blandford, Marie Long, Cara Linnenkohl, Martha Kuzzy, Bridget Fowler, Christine Roper and Susie Chalker) was victorious in its grand final. The crew edged Michigan State by four tenths of a second (6:13.00 to 6:13.4).

UVa’s Varsity Four, meanwhile, finished in second place in its grand final with a time of 6:59.30. Ohio State finished in first place (6:58.00).

“It’s been a challenging year across the board, but it’s important to see how hard our athletes have continued to fight,” associate head coach Steve Pritzker said. “It’s great to see their results show the amount of work they’ve put in.”

The First Novice Eight had a thrilling finish in its grand final, rallying to defeat Wisconsin by three one-hundredths of a second. The Cavaliers’ winning time was 6:27.60, compared to Wisconsin’s time of 6:27.63.

Virginia’s Second Novice Eight, meanwhile, finished second in the petite final with a time of 6:35.7. Clemson won that race with a time of 6:33.9.

Teams earning a berth to the 2009 NCAA Rowing Championships, May 29-31 in Cherry Hill, N.J., will be announced on Tuesday, May 19 at 5 p.m.

No. 11 Virginia at South/Central Regionals
May 16-17, 2009 | Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Finals Results
EVENT: VARSITY EIGHT
Grand Final: 1. Virginia (6:03.2); 2. Michigan (6:05.8); 3. Michigan State (6:07.7); 4. Wisconsin (6:08.6); 5. Clemson (6:09.2); 6. Ohio State (6:12.6)
 • (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
Grand Final: 1. Virginia (6:13.00); 2. Michigan State (6:13.4); 3. Ohio State (6:15.8); 4. Michigan (6:19.2); 5. Wisconsin (6:20.1); 6. Clemson (6:29.0)
 • (Virginia lineup: Coxswain Cristine Candland, Lauren Shook, Claudia Blandford, Marie Long, Cara Linnenkohl, Martha Kuzzy, Bridget Fowler, Christine Roper, Susie Chalker)

EVENT: VARSITY FOUR
Grand Final: 1. Ohio State (6:58.00); 2. Virginia (6:59.30); 3. Minnesota (7:00.6); 4. Clemson (7:07.5); 5. Michigan(7:08.8); 6. Notre Dame (7:13.4)
 • (Virginia lineup: Coxswain Sarah Pichardo, Ruth Retzinger, Summers Nelson, Caroline Sweeny, Shalane Carlson)

EVENT: NOVICE EIGHT
Grand Final: 1. Virginia ‘A’ (6:27.60); 2. Wisconsin (6:27.63); 3. Central Florida (6:31.20); 4. Michigan (6:34.70); 5. Duke (6:37.70); 6. Oklahoma (6:42.20)
• (Virginia ‘A’ lineup: Coxswain Chloe Delaney, MacKenzie Leahy, Marelle Myers, Morgan Joseph, Ana Tucker, Keziah Beall, Sarah Borchelt, Chelsea Simpson, Hannah Silver)
Petite Final: 1. Clemson (6:33.90); 2. Virginia ‘B’ (6:35.70); 3. Ohio State (6:37.60); 4. Michigan State (6:38.00); 5. Notre Dame (6:42.8); 6. Alabama (6:43.9)
 • (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
Grand Final: 1. Ohio State (6:59.7); 2. Clemson (7:01.2); 3. Michigan (7:01.6); 4. Wisconsin (7:03.10); 5.Oklahoma (7:09.9); 6. Virginia ‘B’ (7:10.9)
 • (Virginia ‘B’ lineup: Coxswain Taylor Gilmore, Mariana Lima, Pamela Baylor, Lieve Pitts, Colleen Bauk)
Petite Final: 1. Notre Dame (7:03.6); 2. Duke (7:05.40); 3. Virginia ‘A’ (7:06.70); 4. Michigan State (7:11.4); 5. Iowa (7:17.5); 6. Clemson (7:23.3)
 • (Virginia ‘A’ lineup: Coxswain Laura Hendrie, Hannah Jenkins, Lauren Heimburg, Erin Hawes, Megan Hooley)