Michigan State University
NCAA Championship
Spartan Crew Finishes 10th At NCAA Women's Rowing Championships
5/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
May 29, 2005
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Michigan State crew had two boats racing in the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships on Sunday in Sacramento, Calif. The second varsity eight placed fifth in the nation, while competing in the grand final. The first varsity four placed second in the petite final, finishing eighth overall. As a team, the Spartans finished 10th in the nation with 27 points. California (67 points) edged out Virginia (63 points) for the team championship. The 10th-place finish is Michigan State's best since finishing ninth in 2002.
"Today wasn't about how we finished," MSU rowing head coach Matt Weise said. "The question was how well they would perform, and they performed at their best."
The first varsity four battled hard with the Michigan crew for seventh place, but lost by only seven-tenths of a second for second place in the petite final, good for eighth overall. The Spartans (7:26.27) and the Wolverines (7:25.52) changed leads twice in the final 500 meters before Michigan pulled ahead just before the finish. Yale finished a close third (7:28.30), while Ohio State (7:31.10), Princeton (7:34.70), and Harvard (7:31.10) rounded out the competition. With their eighth-place finish overall, the Spartans earned five points toward the team total.
"The varsity four had a good race," Weise said. "They didn't get too nervous. They just went out and did a good job."
The second varsity eight found itself in a three-crew battle for third place in its grand final against Ohio State and Brown, with Brown (6:38.98) and Ohio State (6:40.60) slightly outdistancing the Spartans (6:40.69) across the finish line. Virginia (6:34.19) and California (6:36.48) placed first and second, respectively, and Michigan (6:47.49) finished sixth overall in the second varsity eight event. With their finish, the Spartans earned 16 points toward the team championship total. The fifth-place finish is tied for the second-best national finish in school history, equaling the 2002 varsity four and finishing behind only the 2002 second varsity eight.
"The second varsity eight did a great job all weekend," Weise said. "I couldn't be happier with them. To lose by .09 meant the race was tight. Officials had to go to video to find the winner, because it was so close, and the tape just didn't go our way."
On Saturday, MSU's first varsity eight won the C-Final, adding six team points to the Spartans' total.
LINEUPS
Top Varsity Eight: coxswain Beth Smith, Roz Bialczak, Erin Robertson, Sarah Brady, Christen Brown, Kirsten Rasanen, Paula Thoms, Jasmine Pickler, Tara Middleton.
Second Varsity Eight: coxswain Julie Springrose, Suzanne Buzzell, Britni Johnson, Anne Cowan, Kate Burdick, Joanna Brown, Ashley Johnson, Daragh Gibson, Abby Wieber.
Top Varsity Four: coxswain Bridget Curry, Liz Brennan, Kathy Syrowik, Julia Craig, Melissa Lane.
Place Team (Point totals)
Final Team Standings
1. California (67)
2. Virginia (63)
3. Brown (49)
4. Ohio State (42)
5. Princeton (39)
6. Harvard (39)
7. Yale (38)
8. Michigan (35)
9. Washington (31)
10. Michigan State (27)
11. USC (25)
12. Wisconsin (13)
Place Team (Time)
First Varsity Four
Petite Final
1. Michigan (7:25.40)
2. Michigan State (7:26.20)
3. Yale (7:28.30)
4. Ohio State (7:31.10)
5. Princeton (7:34.70)
6. Harvard (7:35.80)
Second Varsity Eight
Grand Final
1. Virginia (6:34.19)
2. California (6:36.48)
3. Brown (6:38.98)
4. Ohio State (6:40.60)
5. Michigan State (6:40.69)
6. Michigan (6:47.39)
Players Mentioned
