Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Rowing Releases 2005-06 Schedule
10/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Oct. 5, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 2005-06 Indiana rowing schedule features a balanced mix of regional and national powers with an Indianapolis, Ind., meeting against defending national champion California slated as the crown jewel of the regular season campaign.
"As I look at our schedule I get very excited for the opportunities it presents the team," Indiana head coach Steve Peterson said. "I think the only way to build a program is to race quality opponents. During my first couple of years here, we have really been looking to set up races with faster opponents. As the saying goes, `If you are going to be the best, you have to beat the best.' Obviously all of the programs in the Big Ten present us with great races, and all were ranked in the top 20 at one point last season. However, we have been focusing on trying to get more races against ranked opponents outside of our conference, and this year we have really accomplished that with the inclusion of last year's NCAA Champions - California."
The Hoosiers open the fall season with a scrimmage at Cincinnati on Oct. 22, before heading to the Head of the Elk in Elkhart, Ind., on Oct. 30. Indiana then closes out the fall campaign with the Fall Pairs Race Invitational on Nov. 5 and the Intrasquad Class Race Classic on Nov. 19 at home.
"I continue to use the fall more as a preparation period for our true racing season; the spring," Peterson said. "With that in mind, I try to be creative and come up with better ways for our student-athletes to grow and get more out of the few competition opportunities we have in the fall. This year, we are adding what we are calling a Pairs Invitational, which will allow the student-athletes to race multiple times in one day in smaller two-person boats, which we use primarily for training in the fall. This will make the day more fun, and the student-athletes and coaches will gain a lot more from the experience than we do from the standard fall `Head Race.'"
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers escape the wintry climate of the North from Dec. 31-Jan. 7 with a training trip to Tampa, Fla. The trip offers IU one last chance to travel before the spring season begins.
"Our trip down to Tampa, Fla., during winter break last year was a huge success," Peterson said. "Like any training trip, we were able to get in about twice as much work as we normally would during a regular week in school. Since the student-athletes don't have classes, they are able to devote their full attention into their rowing and workouts. It was during this trip last year that we really started to see student-athletes step up and the best really began to prove themselves. I think a winter training trip is critical to the success of any major program in the North. Without it, the student-athletes are away from the water too long, and it takes too much valuable time once we are back on the water in February for them to pick things back up."
Indiana starts the spring season March 11-19 with its Spring Break Training Trip in Clemson, S.C. Towards the end of the journey, the Hoosiers will face Clemson, Marist and Purdue's club team on March 18.
"Similar to our winter training trip, our Spring Break trip to Clemson offers the student-athletes the opportunity to spend all their time focusing on rowing," Peterson said. "This is especially critical at this time of year, since the end of the week marks our first regular season race vs. Clemson, Purdue and Marist College. It is during the spring break week that we will refine our race strategy, and put the finishing touches on the way we will approach our racing for the spring. It is also when the coaches will make final decisions about the lineups for the different crews. The race at the end of the week gives us a good sense right away if what we are doing is going to be successful or not."
After returning home for a week, IU ventures north to take on Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., on March 25 to close out the month. April features the bulk of Indiana's dual season with a home regatta against Cincinnati, Dayton and Eastern Michigan on April 1, before tangling with Notre Dame, Louisville and Wisconsin in the Big Ten/BIG EAST Double Dual on April 8., in Indianapolis.
The Hoosiers remain in the Circle City for a battle against 2005 defending national champion California on April 9.
"What can I say, we are getting to race the top-ranked team in the nation," Peterson said. "It is a fantastic opportunity and the rowers are very excited about it. Every program in the nation is training and working toward winning a national championship, and here we will have the opportunity to sit on the line and race head-to-head against a crew that has achieved that goal. As a coach or as a student-athlete, you couldn't ask for a better opportunity to see how fast you are."
Indiana continues competing in the Hoosier State with Minnesota and Oregon State at home on April 15 in Bloomington to conclude the regular season.
"Our schedule this season presents us with some great races, and should test our crews each-and-every week," Peterson said. "Facing Michigan State early in the spring, and then crews like Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Oregon State and, of course, California throughout the season, will keep our student-athletes working at all times. I believe that having such a tough regular-season schedule will pay dividends later in the year when we line up to race at the Big Ten Championships and later at our Central Region Championships. At both of those regattas, we will face off against many crews who have been to the NCAAs already. If we expect to achieve our goal of making it to the NCAAs, we will have to be able to race well at these two regattas."
The Hoosiers begin the post-season with the Big Ten Championships on April 29 in Minneapolis, Minn., before traveling south to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Aramark South/Central Region Sprints from May 14-15. Indiana then rounds out its schedule with the NCAA Championships in Mercer County, N.J., from May 26-28.
"Our goals for the year are simple: improve our results as a team over last year and make it to the NCAAs," Peterson said. "Those are our goals every year, and will be until we are Big Ten and NCAA Champions."
