May 29, 2005

Rancho Cordova, Calif. - The University of Virginia women's rowing team won championships in the varsity four and the second varsity eight competitions, but finished second to California in the team competition on the final day of the 2005 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships Sunday (May 29) on Lake Natoma.

California won the varsity eight race and Virginia finished fourth to give the Golden Bears the team championship. It was the Cavaliers' highest finish as a team in the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships since a second place finish in 1999.

Virginia's varsity four and second varsity eight boats finished the spring unbeaten.

California won the team championship with 67 points followed by Virginia with 63 and Brown with 49. Ohio State was fourth with 42 points followed by Princeton (39), Harvard (39), Yale (38), Michigan (35), Washington (31), Michigan State (27), Southern California (25) and Wisconsin (13). Princeton finished fifth ahead of Harvard because it finished higher in the varsity eight race.

At the NCAA Championships, the top 12 finishers in each race earn points. In the varsity four race, points are distributed 12 to 1 for the 12 places. In the second varsity eight race, points are distributed 24-2 for the 12 places. In the varsity eight race, points are distributed 36-3 for the 12 places.

"We had a wonderful effort by everybody today," said Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer. "Our varsity four and second varsity eight crews were both pushed hard and had great races to win NCAA Championships. I thought the members of the varsity eight crew had the race of their lives, finishing only 1.42 seconds behind Princeton for second place and just .36 of a second behind Harvard for third. Yale won the Eastern Sprints in the varsity eight and Ohio State won the varsity eight at the South/Central Regionals, and we beat them both today.

"I couldn't be prouder of this team. We won two NCAA Championships today and finished second as a team. All year they did everything we asked them to do and they finished with a great effort this weekend.

"California deserved to win the NCAA team championship. Their crews did a great job across the board, especially in the varsity eight."

Virginia won the NCAA Championship in the varsity four for the second consecutive year. The Cavaliers took the lead after the first 500 meters of the 2,000- meter race and held it the rest of the way. UVa finished in a time of 7:18.42 with Brown second (7:20.08) and Washington third (7:20.15). California finished fourth with a time of 7:22.49 followed by Wisconsin (7:23.53) and Southern California (7:25.26). Virginia's varsity four boat was comprised of Michelle Ellison (coxswain, Cincinnati, Ohio), Mindy Fiesler (Jacksonville, Fla.), Mieke Pitts (Charlottesville, Va.), Alison Brennan (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) and Katrin Sydlik (Schonebeck, Germany).

UVa led all the way to win the NCAA Championship in the second varsity eight. The Cavaliers had a time of 6:34.19 with California second (6:36.48) and Brown third (6:38.98). Ohio State was fourth in a time of 6:40.60 followed by Michigan State (6:40.69) and Michigan (6:47.39). The Virginia crew was made up of Launa Forehand (coxswain, New Market, Va.), Beth Clark (Davidson, N.C.), Crystal MacLeod (Beckford, England), Libby McCann (Arlington, Mass.), Kim Southern (Falls Church, Va.), Heather Gardner (Flintstone, Ga.), Sara Lippa (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.), Mary Dobmeier (Amherst, N.Y.) and Chrissie Monaghan (Flanders, N.J.).

Virginia also won the NCAA Championship in the second varsity eight in both 1998 and 1999.

In the varsity eight race, UVa finished fourth just behind Harvard. Harvard finished third in a time of 6:23.86 and Virginia was fourth in 6:24.22. California won the championship in the varsity eight with a time of 6:20.74 and Princeton was second in 6:22.80. Yale finished fifth with a time of 6:25.89 and Ohio State was sixth (6:26.96). The Cavaliers' varsity eight crew was comprised of Katie Hilton (coxswain, St. Louis, Mo.), Catelyn Coyle (Newton Square, Pa.), Ashley Jones (Alexandria, Va.), Margaret Matia (Burke, Va.), Andria Haneman (Absecon, N.J.), Carolyn McMillan (Welland, Ontario), Kerry Maher (Welland, Ontario), Katie Yrazabal (San Francisco, Calif.) and Melanie Kok (St. Catharines, Ontario).

Virginia has finished in the top seven in the team competition at each of the nine NCAA Women's Rowing Championships. The Cavaliers finished fourth in 1997, third in 1998, second in 1999, third in 2000, seventh in 2001, fourth in 2002, sixth in 2003 and tied for sixth in 2004.

Virginia, Brown, Princeton and Washington are the only schools to receive team invitations to each of the nine NCAA Women's Rowing Championships.