Source: BigTenNetwork.com
Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 7:30:00 PM EST
Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 7:38:33 PM EST
Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 7:30:00 PM EST
Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 7:38:33 PM EST
The 16-team field for the 2009 NCAA Rowing Championships was announced Tuesday afternoon and Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin all received bids. Read the schools' releases below:
MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women's rowing team has received a bid to compete in the 2009 NCAA Championships, the NCAA announced on Tuesday afternoon (May 19). The Wolverines will be appearing in their ninth national championship event in the program's 13-year varsity history. This year's events will take place Friday through Sunday, May 29-31, on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.
The NCAA Championships are divided up among Division I, Division II and Division III institutions. In Division I, 16 teams are awarded team bids, which include a first varsity eight, a second varsity eight and a first varsity four. The three boats from each school can win individual national titles while attempting to earn points toward the team title.
This year's collection of teams includes Brown, California, Clemson, Dartmouth, Harvard, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern California, Stanford, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Yale.
Michigan is in the hunt for its first team national title. In 2001, the U-M second varsity eight won an individual boat national title when the Maize and Blue posted a program-best second-place overall finish. In 2004, the Wolverines earned third place as a team. In 2003, the first varsity eight notched a boat-best, silver-medal performance en route to a fourth-place team standing. Michigan's other national finishes include fifth place on three occasions (1998, 1999, 2000) and eighth place twice (2002, 2005).
The Wolverines head into the NCAA Championships after winning the Central Region title on May 17 at the Central/South Region Sprints in Oak Ridge, Tenn. U-M's first varsity eight took second behind Virginia in the grand final, while the U-M second varsity eight and first varsity four placed fourth and fifth, respectively. At the Big Ten Championships on May 2, the Maize and Blue finished second as a team, as well as in the first varsity eight.
Michigan is one of four Big Ten Conference squads (Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin) that will be attending the NCAA Championships. The Pac-10 Conference leads the way with five invitees (Stanford, California, Washington, Southern California, Oregon State).
The NCAA Championships will be held May 29-31 on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J., with Villanova serving as host. For ticket information, call the Villanova Ticket Office at 610-519-4100
MICHIGAN STATE
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The third-ranked Michigan State rowing program has earned a berth in the 16-team 2009 NCAA National Regatta, which will be held in Cherry Hill, N.J., from May 29-31, as announced by the NCAA Selection Committee Tuesday evening. Villanova will serve as the host institution of this year's championship. This year marks the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that the MSU rowing program will be represented at the national regatta and it will be the ninth time that the Spartans will have a full team at the championships. MSU tied its top finish at last year's regatta, finishing sixth overall. Both the varsity four and varsity eight boats also tied their best finishes at the event last season, placing fifth and sixth, respectively.
"Obviously, we are very happy to be going to the National Regatta," head coach Matt Weise said. "It is always a very fast event and I am excited to get out there and test our team against some of the best teams in the nation."
The bid is the Spartans' seventh full-team bid in the last eight seasons as the only year in which the team did not qualify for the National Regatta was in 2007, which is the only year that the Spartans did not qualify since becoming a varsity sport in 1998. MSU has now received nine team bids and received at-large berths for their varsity eight boat in both 1998 and 2001.
The team championships are comprised of 16 teams and each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers and one boat of four rowers. 2009 marks the first year that the field will feature 16 teams, rather than the 12 teams with four at-large varsity eight boats as in previous years. Joining the Spartans amongst the field of 16 will be three other Big Ten schools - Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin - along with Brown, California, Clemson, Dartmouth, Harvard, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern California, Stanford, Virginia, Washington and Yale.
The Spartans put together a fine season in 2009, earning them the berth at the National Regatta. After spending the majority of the season ranked in the nation's top five in the CRCA Coaches Poll, the Spartans earned their highest ranking - third - after winning their second-straight Big Ten title on May 2. The Spartans' varsity eight and second varsity eight each claimed Big Ten titles while Weise and senior Sarah Schmidt (Grosse Ile, Mich.) took home Big Ten Coach of the Year and Big Ten Athlete of the Year, respectively. Several other Spartans earned Big Ten honors as well, highlighted by Lauren Gamble (Commerce Township, Mich.) and Amanda Dunnill (Flushing, Mich.), who were named First Team All-Big Ten. Seniors Ashley Peach (St. John's, Newfoundland) and Nancy Diehl (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) were also honored as Second Team All-Big Ten Selections. MSU is coming off of a third-place overall finish - and second-place nod in the Central Region - at the Aramark South/Central Sprints last weekend.
OHIO STATE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the 10th-consecutive year, the Ohio State rowing team earned a bid to the NCAA championships, the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Committee announced Tuesday. The 2009 NCAA Championships are May 29-31 at Cooper River Park in Cherry Hill, N.J. Villanova will serve as the event's host.
A web cast of all the races at the NCAA championships will be available at ncaa.com.
Unlike in past years when 12 teams, plus four at-large First Varsity Eights qualified for the national championships, in 2009 16 teams qualified and there were no at-large selections. Also new to the 2009 selection process was the announcement of the First and Second Varsity Eights and First Varsity Four heat assignments for the first day of races.
The 1V8 will compete in the first of three heats at 8:45 a.m. Friday May 29. The 2V8 will get on the water at 9:30 a.m. in the opening heat and the 1V4 will race in the second heat at 10:30 a.m.
Overall, this is the Buckeyes' 11th appearance in the NCAA championships. Before making 10-consecutive team appearances beginning in 2000, the Scarlet and Gray First Varsity Four competed on the national stage in 1997, just the team's second year as a varsity program.
In the 14-year history of Ohio State rowing, the Buckeyes own a program-best third-place finish as a team at the NCAA championships, accomplished in 2007 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The 1V8 finished a boat-best second that same year. A season ago in Rancho Cordova, Calif., the 2V8 was second for its all-time best national finish. The 1V4 was a third-place finisher in 2006 in West Windsor, N.J.
Three other Big Ten Conference programs will join the Buckeyes at nationals – Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Fans can purchase a three-day all session pass for $25. Students, with a valid ID and children 3 years old and older, as well as those 65 years old and older can buy a three-day all-session pass for $10. An adult individual ticket is $10 and a student, senior, child individual ticket is $5. Children under 3 are admitted free.
WISCONSIN
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's openweight rowing program earned its fifth bid to the NCAA rowing championships in six years when the 16-team field for the 2009 NCAA Rowing Championships were announced on Tuesday. This year's event takes place May 29-31 on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.
"It has been our goal all year, not only to make it but to be really competitive there," said head coach Bebe Bryans. "You can't be competitive unless you are there, so first task – check. This was really a great kick in the pants and hopefully they will go and just keep getting better and better."
Wisconsin enters the championships after placing fifth at the 2009 NCAA Central/South Regional last weekend in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Badgers also placed fourth at the 2009 Big Ten Championships on May 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Wisconsin hopes to improve on last year's NCAA performance when the squad placed 10th in Gold River, Calif. UW's second varsity eight led the way with a seventh-place finish after winning the petite final. In 2006, the Badgers placed eighth as a team, the school's highest finish to date. At that same 2006 championships, the UW second varsity eight took third, the highest finish for a Wisconsin boat in the five years Wisconsin has reached the championships.
This year's bid marks the fourth for the Badgers in five years under head coach Bebe Bryans. Prior to Bryans' arrival, the Badgers had been to just two NCAA championships in the first eight years of the event. The Badgers first reached the championships in 1999 under head coach Mary Browning two years after the NCAA began sponsoring the sport. The program then qualified in 2004 under interim head coach Sue Ela. Bids in 2005, 2006, 2008 and now 2009 all came under Bryans.
"I think we are the fastest we've been since I've been here and we are extremely competitive," Bryans added. "Everybody is getting faster and it is really exciting to be a part of it. I think we are up there with everybody. It is a real fast year. It is going to be really exciting. Our ultimate goal is to get to the finals, because if you get to the finals, then anything can happen."
Wisconsin will be joined at the 2009 NCAA championships by three other Big Ten schools, including Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Completing this year's 16-team field is defending NCAA champion Brown, California, Clemson, Dartmouth, Harvard, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern California, Stanford, Virginia, Washington and Yale.
The heats for the 2009 championships were announced with the field this year for the first time, and in seed order. In the varsity eight, Wisconsin will race in heat two against California, Michigan State, Oregon State and Brown. Wisconsin's second varsity eight will race in heat three against Michigan State, Brown, Michigan, Clemson and Dartmouth. Finally, Wisconsin's varsity eight races in heat two against Southern California, Ohio State, Clemson and Oregon State.
"The beauty of this race is that everybody is good," said Bryans. "Last weekend, South/Centrals was a really competitive regatta, but of the 22 schools that were in our event, there were probably 13 or 14 that were super competitive. Here, everybody is good. The heats are fair. The heats are tough and we are excited."
MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women's rowing team has received a bid to compete in the 2009 NCAA Championships, the NCAA announced on Tuesday afternoon (May 19). The Wolverines will be appearing in their ninth national championship event in the program's 13-year varsity history. This year's events will take place Friday through Sunday, May 29-31, on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.
The NCAA Championships are divided up among Division I, Division II and Division III institutions. In Division I, 16 teams are awarded team bids, which include a first varsity eight, a second varsity eight and a first varsity four. The three boats from each school can win individual national titles while attempting to earn points toward the team title.
This year's collection of teams includes Brown, California, Clemson, Dartmouth, Harvard, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern California, Stanford, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Yale.
Michigan is in the hunt for its first team national title. In 2001, the U-M second varsity eight won an individual boat national title when the Maize and Blue posted a program-best second-place overall finish. In 2004, the Wolverines earned third place as a team. In 2003, the first varsity eight notched a boat-best, silver-medal performance en route to a fourth-place team standing. Michigan's other national finishes include fifth place on three occasions (1998, 1999, 2000) and eighth place twice (2002, 2005).
The Wolverines head into the NCAA Championships after winning the Central Region title on May 17 at the Central/South Region Sprints in Oak Ridge, Tenn. U-M's first varsity eight took second behind Virginia in the grand final, while the U-M second varsity eight and first varsity four placed fourth and fifth, respectively. At the Big Ten Championships on May 2, the Maize and Blue finished second as a team, as well as in the first varsity eight.
Michigan is one of four Big Ten Conference squads (Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin) that will be attending the NCAA Championships. The Pac-10 Conference leads the way with five invitees (Stanford, California, Washington, Southern California, Oregon State).
The NCAA Championships will be held May 29-31 on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J., with Villanova serving as host. For ticket information, call the Villanova Ticket Office at 610-519-4100
MICHIGAN STATE
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The third-ranked Michigan State rowing program has earned a berth in the 16-team 2009 NCAA National Regatta, which will be held in Cherry Hill, N.J., from May 29-31, as announced by the NCAA Selection Committee Tuesday evening. Villanova will serve as the host institution of this year's championship. This year marks the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that the MSU rowing program will be represented at the national regatta and it will be the ninth time that the Spartans will have a full team at the championships. MSU tied its top finish at last year's regatta, finishing sixth overall. Both the varsity four and varsity eight boats also tied their best finishes at the event last season, placing fifth and sixth, respectively.
"Obviously, we are very happy to be going to the National Regatta," head coach Matt Weise said. "It is always a very fast event and I am excited to get out there and test our team against some of the best teams in the nation."
The bid is the Spartans' seventh full-team bid in the last eight seasons as the only year in which the team did not qualify for the National Regatta was in 2007, which is the only year that the Spartans did not qualify since becoming a varsity sport in 1998. MSU has now received nine team bids and received at-large berths for their varsity eight boat in both 1998 and 2001.
The team championships are comprised of 16 teams and each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers and one boat of four rowers. 2009 marks the first year that the field will feature 16 teams, rather than the 12 teams with four at-large varsity eight boats as in previous years. Joining the Spartans amongst the field of 16 will be three other Big Ten schools - Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin - along with Brown, California, Clemson, Dartmouth, Harvard, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern California, Stanford, Virginia, Washington and Yale.
The Spartans put together a fine season in 2009, earning them the berth at the National Regatta. After spending the majority of the season ranked in the nation's top five in the CRCA Coaches Poll, the Spartans earned their highest ranking - third - after winning their second-straight Big Ten title on May 2. The Spartans' varsity eight and second varsity eight each claimed Big Ten titles while Weise and senior Sarah Schmidt (Grosse Ile, Mich.) took home Big Ten Coach of the Year and Big Ten Athlete of the Year, respectively. Several other Spartans earned Big Ten honors as well, highlighted by Lauren Gamble (Commerce Township, Mich.) and Amanda Dunnill (Flushing, Mich.), who were named First Team All-Big Ten. Seniors Ashley Peach (St. John's, Newfoundland) and Nancy Diehl (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) were also honored as Second Team All-Big Ten Selections. MSU is coming off of a third-place overall finish - and second-place nod in the Central Region - at the Aramark South/Central Sprints last weekend.
OHIO STATE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the 10th-consecutive year, the Ohio State rowing team earned a bid to the NCAA championships, the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Committee announced Tuesday. The 2009 NCAA Championships are May 29-31 at Cooper River Park in Cherry Hill, N.J. Villanova will serve as the event's host.
A web cast of all the races at the NCAA championships will be available at ncaa.com.
Unlike in past years when 12 teams, plus four at-large First Varsity Eights qualified for the national championships, in 2009 16 teams qualified and there were no at-large selections. Also new to the 2009 selection process was the announcement of the First and Second Varsity Eights and First Varsity Four heat assignments for the first day of races.
The 1V8 will compete in the first of three heats at 8:45 a.m. Friday May 29. The 2V8 will get on the water at 9:30 a.m. in the opening heat and the 1V4 will race in the second heat at 10:30 a.m.
Overall, this is the Buckeyes' 11th appearance in the NCAA championships. Before making 10-consecutive team appearances beginning in 2000, the Scarlet and Gray First Varsity Four competed on the national stage in 1997, just the team's second year as a varsity program.
In the 14-year history of Ohio State rowing, the Buckeyes own a program-best third-place finish as a team at the NCAA championships, accomplished in 2007 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The 1V8 finished a boat-best second that same year. A season ago in Rancho Cordova, Calif., the 2V8 was second for its all-time best national finish. The 1V4 was a third-place finisher in 2006 in West Windsor, N.J.
Three other Big Ten Conference programs will join the Buckeyes at nationals – Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Fans can purchase a three-day all session pass for $25. Students, with a valid ID and children 3 years old and older, as well as those 65 years old and older can buy a three-day all-session pass for $10. An adult individual ticket is $10 and a student, senior, child individual ticket is $5. Children under 3 are admitted free.
WISCONSIN
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's openweight rowing program earned its fifth bid to the NCAA rowing championships in six years when the 16-team field for the 2009 NCAA Rowing Championships were announced on Tuesday. This year's event takes place May 29-31 on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.
"It has been our goal all year, not only to make it but to be really competitive there," said head coach Bebe Bryans. "You can't be competitive unless you are there, so first task – check. This was really a great kick in the pants and hopefully they will go and just keep getting better and better."
Wisconsin enters the championships after placing fifth at the 2009 NCAA Central/South Regional last weekend in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Badgers also placed fourth at the 2009 Big Ten Championships on May 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Wisconsin hopes to improve on last year's NCAA performance when the squad placed 10th in Gold River, Calif. UW's second varsity eight led the way with a seventh-place finish after winning the petite final. In 2006, the Badgers placed eighth as a team, the school's highest finish to date. At that same 2006 championships, the UW second varsity eight took third, the highest finish for a Wisconsin boat in the five years Wisconsin has reached the championships.
This year's bid marks the fourth for the Badgers in five years under head coach Bebe Bryans. Prior to Bryans' arrival, the Badgers had been to just two NCAA championships in the first eight years of the event. The Badgers first reached the championships in 1999 under head coach Mary Browning two years after the NCAA began sponsoring the sport. The program then qualified in 2004 under interim head coach Sue Ela. Bids in 2005, 2006, 2008 and now 2009 all came under Bryans.
"I think we are the fastest we've been since I've been here and we are extremely competitive," Bryans added. "Everybody is getting faster and it is really exciting to be a part of it. I think we are up there with everybody. It is a real fast year. It is going to be really exciting. Our ultimate goal is to get to the finals, because if you get to the finals, then anything can happen."
Wisconsin will be joined at the 2009 NCAA championships by three other Big Ten schools, including Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Completing this year's 16-team field is defending NCAA champion Brown, California, Clemson, Dartmouth, Harvard, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern California, Stanford, Virginia, Washington and Yale.
The heats for the 2009 championships were announced with the field this year for the first time, and in seed order. In the varsity eight, Wisconsin will race in heat two against California, Michigan State, Oregon State and Brown. Wisconsin's second varsity eight will race in heat three against Michigan State, Brown, Michigan, Clemson and Dartmouth. Finally, Wisconsin's varsity eight races in heat two against Southern California, Ohio State, Clemson and Oregon State.
"The beauty of this race is that everybody is good," said Bryans. "Last weekend, South/Centrals was a really competitive regatta, but of the 22 schools that were in our event, there were probably 13 or 14 that were super competitive. Here, everybody is good. The heats are fair. The heats are tough and we are excited."
