Indiana University Athletics
IU Rowing to Host Big Ten Double Dual April 10
4/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
April 8, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana rowing team will welcome No. 7 Michigan State, No. 10 Michigan and No. 13 Ohio State to Lake Lemon for the 2010 Big Ten Double Dual on Saturday, April 10 at Riddle Point Park in Bloomington.
Saturday's regatta will include a series of head-to-head, 2,000-meter races that will begin at 9 a.m. ET. This weekend marks the first time Indiana will meet these three teams during the spring season.
"Having three top-15 programs coming in to race us at home is an exciting opportunity for our student-athletes," said IU head coach Steve Peterson. "All three team are coming in with experience, power and proven race speed. So it offers us the opportunity to test our speed against some of the fastest crews in the country. Given the results we have had over the past few weeks of racing and the improvements we have been making daily in practice, we are very anxious to see how we stack up against them. As we have been saying all spring - we respect the ability and experience these crews have, but unlike previous years, we don't fear them at all."
The Hoosiers claimed their first Dale England Cup with a final score of 101 points after IU's second Varsity 8 beat Boston University to secure the title. BU finished second with a score of 93 points, while Central Florida placed third with a score of 90 points. Miami finished fourth with 31 points and Dayton placed fifth with 26 points.
The Hoosiers' second Varsity crew of junior Amy Coleman, senior Nicole Coton, sophomores Jaclyn Riedel, Jennifer Schultz, and Rachel Griffin, freshmen Claire Robinson, Madelyn Shields and Kaitlin Honson, and sophomore Amy Gartenberg, went undefeated at the Dale England. The Hoosiers opened racing on Friday with nearly a seven second win over Dayton with a time of 7:23.7. The Flyers crossed the finish line in 7:30.21. In Saturday's morning race, IU beat Central Florida by 16 seconds with a time of 6:50.1. The Golden Knights finished in 6:66.5. In the final race of the day, the Hoosiers' 2V8 won the race that clinched IU's first Dale England Cup with a time of 6:58.66, beating Boston by nearly 11 seconds (7:09.92).
IU's first Varsity 8 also posted a successful weekend, winning two of their three races. On Friday, Indiana beat Miami by a little more than five seconds with a time of 7:04.1. The Hurricanes crossed the finish line in 7:09.43. In the morning session on Saturday, which was full of rain and slight wind, the Hoosiers first Varsity 8 crew crossed the finish line in 6:39.7, beating Central Florida by a little more than three seconds. In the afternoon session where the rain stopped after the first two races, IU just missed beating Boston by a second and a half. The Hoosiers crossed the finish line in 6:45.8, behind BU (6:44.3) after fighting back from being down early in the race.
This weekend's regatta will also serve as a sample of the competition coming up at the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, May 1 on Lake Ovid at Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg, Mich.
"The results from this race will have a huge impact on the seeding of the crews going into the Big Ten Championships," Stevenson said. "This will be the last time we face off against any Big Ten programs before the championships, so these will be the most looked at results when seeding is decided. So we really want to put our best effort out there this weekend to set us up well for the championships. Our expectations are higher this year than they have been in the past, and that is based upon the work we have done and results we have gotten. I believe this weekend should show a pretty good glimpse into what we are capable of at the Big Ten Championships in several weeks."
Following Saturday's Big Ten Double Dual, the Hoosiers will compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, April 17-18, in Oak Ridge, Tenn., as their final preparation for the Big Ten Championships.
"I think the Big Ten Championships are going to be very different this year," Peterson added. "Based upon rankings and results so far, Michigan State, Michigan, and Wisconsin are probably the front-runners right now, but the rest of the schools are very tightly packed right behind them. This year's championships should be, from top to bottom, one of the most competitive Big Ten Championships ever."
Directions to Riddle Point Park:
From the football stadium, take 17th street to the bypass (45N/46E). Turn right on the bypass and follow it past the Indiana University Golf Course on your left. At the next traffic light, 45N and 46E will split. Turn left at this light, staying on 45 North/10th Street. Follow 45 North/10th Street for approximately seven miles and watch for a green sign for Lake Lemon/Riddle Point. Shortly after the green sign, at the top of the hill, you will take a left onto Tunnel Road. Follow Tunnel Road for approximately three miles and it will take you right into Riddle Point Park.
Players Mentioned
