Spartan Rowing Earns NCAA Championship Bid
5/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
May 18, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State varsity crew program earned its fifth-ever team bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Championships, the NCAA selection committee announced Tuesday afternoon. Championship races will take place in Sacramento, Calif., from Friday, May 28-Sunday, May 30. With a team bid, MSU will send three boats (first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four) to the championships.
Michigan State is one of 12 schools to receive a team bid to the championships. The Spartans are joined by Big Ten opponents Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin in addition to crews from Brown, California, Harvard, Princeton, Virginia, Washington, Washington State and Yale. Four schools, Notre Dame, Southern California, Tennessee and Texas, will send their first varsity eight shells to compete. The selection of teams and individual boats was based on eligibility and availability of student-athletes; regional championship results; regional rankings; late-season performance; head-to-head results; results against teams/boats already selected; results against common opponents; and results against regionally ranked teams/boats. One team from each region was selected and the remaining seven teams were selected at-large.
The Green and White have established a presence at the national championship over the years, as MSU has qualified at least one boat for the event in all seven years since the program's inception as a varsity sport at State. In its inaugural season in 1998, MSU's varsity eight placed ninth. In 1999 and 2000, MSU qualified its entire crew for the championships, placing eighth in the team competition both seasons. The first varsity eight placed a school-best eighth for that boat at the 2000 NCAA Championship, followed by a 10th-place finish for the boat at the 2001 championships. In 2002, MSU placed ninth as a team, led by a fourth-place finish from the second varsity eight, marking the highest national finish ever for any Spartan boat. Last year, the Spartans placed 11th as a team, as the first varsity eight finished 13th, the second varsity eight placed 10th and the first varsity four finished ninth.
"We are thrilled to have the chance to keep racing," said MSU head coach Bebe Bryans. "We have unfinished business and we are excited to finish it."
The unfinished business to which Bryans referred might have something to do with the number of close races in which the Spartans have competed against a variety of incredibly talented crews.
"Given the strength of this region, it is remarkable to think of how far we have come," said Bryans. "Four of the 12 teams selected are members of the Big Ten."
While the Green and White season has been largely marked by success and victory, the Spartans had to put forth considerable effort for their accomplishments and, at times, still suffered disappointing losses to strong opponents from the deep pool of talented competitors in 2003-04.
At the Big Ten Championships, the Spartans entered the final race of the day, the first varsity eight, in first place. But a fourth-place finish in the final race also meant a fourth-place finish for the team.
But Michigan State has also had its share of success. On April 17, MSU defeated Michigan in head-to-head competition, including a five-second victory in the first varsity eight race. Last weekend at the NCAA Regional Championships, the Spartan second varsity eight finished third, ahead of NCAA qualifiers Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Now, the Spartans' top three boats have just over a week to prepare to take that success to the next level.
