Michigan State Rowing Prepares For Big Ten Championship Regatta
4/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
April 30, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's crew heads to Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, May 1 to face conference opponents in the highly anticipated Big Ten Championship Regatta. Competition will take place on a 2000-meter racecourse on Lake Macbride.
The No. 7-ranked Spartans will face No. 1 Ohio State, No. 10 Michigan, No. 13 Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota and Iowa, who will host the event. Racing will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude with the top-flight varsity eight race, scheduled for 2:45 p.m. A complete schedule of events is listed below.
LIVE SCORING
The Hawkeyes will be providing live scoring on their website, www.hawkeyesports.com. Final results and award winners will also be posted on the website after the conclusion of the regatta.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State travels to the Big Ten Championship Regatta after enjoying immense success this spring racing season. Most recently, State hosted its only home meet of the season in a dual competition against Michigan at Lake Ovid on Saturday, April 17. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines in all but one of the seven events that day, posting a 17-6 victory over U of M.
BRING IT ON!
Here is what MSU head coach Bebe Bryans had to say about her team as the Spartans prepare for the Big Ten Championship:
"We are excited and we are ready to go. We have been preparing for this weekend for so long that, now, we are just looking forward to being able to do it. At this point, it is a matter of excitement."
On the competition: "We don't really scout out the competition because we don't race based on what they are doing. We race to our strengths. We know where we are seeded and it is going to be a great championship."
On State's greatest strengths: "One of our ultimate strengths is teamwork. We are there for each other. We are strong across the board and this team loves to race. Bring it on."
SPARTAN ACCOLADES ON AND OFF THE WATER
In addition to winning a multitude of races throughout a hugely successful spring racing season, Michigan State received Big Ten Boat of the Week honors for its smashing victory over Michigan on Saturday, April 17.
Members of the Green and White rowing team made great accomplishments off the water as well. An impressive 25 Spartans were honored for their academic performace at the Student Athlete Support Services Academic Gala in April.
CHECKING OUT NO. 1 OHIO STATE
Top-ranked Ohio State is the first-ever Big Ten women's crew program to earn a first place ranking in the nation and the Buckeyes promise to provide fierce competition for Michigan State this weekend. The 2004 Big Ten Championship marks the first meeting between State and OSU this season.
The Buckeyes earned Big Ten Boat of the Week honors for a record four consecutive weeks in 2004 and shared the distinction with the Spartans, who were also awarded the honor, on April 19. Ohio State claimed the Big Ten Championship crown in 2002 and finished third at the 2003 Big Ten Championship Regatta.
Ohio State head coach Andy Teitelbaum is in his ninth season coaching the Buckeyes.
CHECKING OUT NO. 10 MICHIGAN
The Wolverines have established themselves as a powerful opponent for Michigan State rowing. The intense State-Michigan rivalry was particularly heightened this season after the Maize and Blue's varsity eight defeated the Spartan varsity eight by less than two seconds to win a 123-point tiebreaker and take the 2003 Big Ten Championship title.
The Spartans retaliated in 2004 and defeated Michigan in multiple races. One of State's most poignant victories over the Wolverines was in its last race of the regular season, a Spartan-hosted event in which MSU dominated Michigan in a 17-6 slam.
Although MSU's varsity eight recently defeated Michigan, the Wolverines still deliver a potent threat and boast a conference-best record at the Big Ten Championship. The Maize and Blue have claimed the Big Ten Championship title three times (2000, 2001, 2003) since the conference began sponsoring the sport in 2000. The only other program to have earned the Big Ten Championship crown is Ohio State (2002).
Michigan head coach Mark Rothstein is in his eighth season with U of M.
CHECKING OUT NO. 13 WISCONSIN
Although the Badgers are ranked 13 in the nation, their varsity eight is seeded third amongst conference opponents for this weekend, which ranks them ahead of No. 10 Michigan. Varsity eights from Ohio State and Michigan State are ranked first and second for Big Tens, respectively.
Wisconsin's varsity eight is relatively young and the boat's rowers include two seniors, two juniors and four sophomores, coxed by junior Beth Redfearn.
Wisconsin finished fifth at the 2003 Big Ten Championship Regatta. Head coach Maren LaLiberty is in her second year with the Badgers.
CHECKING OUT MINNESOTA
The Gophers are in their fourth season of competition since the program's inception in 2000. Minnesota's varsity eight was honored with Big Ten Boat of the Week honors on April 26, after defeating both Kansas and Southern Methodist University in the Badgers' only home race of the season.
Minnesota finished sixth at the 2003 Big Ten Championship Regatta. Head coach Wendy Davis is in her fourth season with the Golden Gophers.
CHECKING OUT INDIANA
The Hoosiers had an opportunity to race three of its conference opponents when they faced Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin for Indiana's last meet of the regular season on Saturday, April 17. Indiana fielded five boats for a series of morning and afternoon races, but were unable to defeat any opponents throughout the day.
The Hoosiers have spent the past two weeks honing in on the areas in which they hope to improve and they expect to provide a solid showing in Iowa this weekend.
Indiana finished seventh at the 2003 Big Ten Championship. Head coach Steve Peterson is in his inaugural season with the Hoosiers.
CHECKING OUT IOWA
Iowa, host of the 2004 Big Ten Championship Regatta, emerges from a challenging spring racing season to enter the post season.
In its most recent competition, Iowa faced Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio State at an April 17 regatta. During that competition, the Hawkeyes fell to Wisconsin by just two seconds in a morning race. In its afternoon race, Iowa's top-flight varsity eight was defeated by Wisconsin by less than three seconds. Ohio State, who joined the crews for afternoon competition, defeated both Iowa and Wisconsin to finish first. Iowa finished fourth at the 2003 Big Ten Championship. Iowa head coach Mandi Kowal is in her 10th season at Iowa.
Big Ten Championship Seedings
I Varsity Eights: 1 Novice Eights:
1 -Ohio State 1 - Minnesota
2 -Michigan State 2 - Michigan State
3 -Wisconsin 3 - Wisconsin
4 -Michigan 4 -- Ohio State
5 -Minnesota 5 -- Indiana
6 -Iowa 6 - Michigan
7 -Indiana 7 - Iowa
II Varsity Eights: II Novice Eights:
1 -Ohio State 1 - Minnesota
2 -Michigan 2 - Wisconsin
3 -Wisconsin 3 - Michigan State
4 -Michigan State 4 - Ohio State
5 -Minnesota 5 - Michigan
6 -Iowa
7 -Indiana
I Varsity Fours: II Varsity Fours:
1 -Minnesota 1 - Minnesota
2 -Michigan State 2 - Michigan State
3 -Michigan 3 - Wisconsin
4 -Ohio State 4 - Ohio State
5 -Wisconsin 5 - Michigan
6 -Indiana 6 - Indiana
7 -Iowa 7 - Iowa
2003 Final Team Standings
PLACE SCHOOL POINTS
1. Michigan* 123
2. Michigan State 123
3. Ohio State 107
4. Iowa 99
5. Wisconsin 69
6. Minnesota 61
7. Indiana 30
* Michigan wins Big Ten championship through tiebreaker based on higher varsity eight finish
2004 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTACOMPLETE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
8:00 a.m. II Novice Eight, Heat 1 8:30 a.m. I Novice Eight, Heat 1 8:45 a.m. I Novice Eight, Heat 2 9:00 a.m. II Varsity Four, Heat 1 9:15 a.m. II Varsity Four, Heat 2 9:30 a.m. I Varsity Four, Heat 1 9:45 a.m. I Varsity Four, Heat 2 10:00 a.m. II Varsity Eight, Heat 1 10:15 a.m. II Varsity Eight, Heat 2 10:30 a.m. I Varsity Eight, Heat 1 10:45 a.m. I Varsity Eight, Heat 2 12:15 p.m. II Novice Eight, Grand Final 12:30 p.m. I Novice Eight, Petite Final 12:45 p.m. I Novice Eight, Grand Final 1:00 p.m. II Varsity Four, Petite Final 1:15 p.m. II Varsity Four, Grand Final 1:30 p.m. I Varsity Four, Petite Final 1:45 p.m. I Varsity Four, Grand Final 2:00 p.m. II Varsity Eight, Petite Final 2:15 p.m. II Varsity Eight, Grand Final 2:30 p.m. I Varsity Eight, Petite Final 2:45 p.m. I Varsity Eight, Grand Final 4:00 p.m. Awards Presentation