Rowing Ends Season Successfully

May 17, 2009

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. -- The University of Oklahoma women's rowing team capped off its season in the Grand Finals at the NCAA South/Central regional Sunday.

Two third place finishes Saturday advanced the varsity four to the Grand Finals where it competed against Ohio State, Clemson “B”, Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia “A”. OU posted a time of seven minutes, nine seconds, to finish fifth in the Grand Final.

Oklahoma's first novice eight earned a spot in the Grand Finals with a fourth and third place finish in the preliminary and semifinal rounds. The Sooners raced against Virginia “A”, Wisconsin, UCF, Michigan and Duke Sunday, placing sixth with a time of 6:42.2.

The second novice eight competed in the “C” final versus Kansas State, Kansas and Indiana and earned fourth with a time of 7:03.

The South/Central regional was the last regatta of the season for the Sooners. The inaugural season showcased many highlights for the team. The varsity four recorded regular season wins over Iowa and UCF and posted a 19 second victory over the University of San Diego and San Diego State. The novice four won two races to advance to the Grand Finals at the SIRA Championships earning a silver medal and the novice eight made an appearance in the Grand Finals at the San Diego Crew Classic.

OU's inaugural season also included the first ever Big 12 Championship for rowing. The varsity four and first novice eight came away with first place finishes and the second novice eight finished second.

"Today's racing capped off a great first season,” head coach Leeanne Crain said. “I'm really proud of what this team accomplished this year. These athletes have now gotten a taste of what it's like to compete at the championship level. We've got more challenges ahead of us in year two, as we build our squad size and begin to field the full contingent of NCAA events. The level of competition in the varsity eights and second varsity eights is fierce, so we'll need to work hard over the next 10 months to be ready for next spring."

Open Four Grand Final Results
1. Ohio State (6:59.7)
2. Clemson (7:01.2)
3. Michigan (7:01.6)
4. Wisconsin (7:03.1)
5. Oklahoma (7:09.9)
6. Virginia (7:10.9)

Novice Eight Grand Final Results
1. Virginia (6:27.60)
2. Wisconsin (6:27.63)
3. UCF (6:31.2)
4. Michigan (6:34.7)
5. Duke (6:37.7)
6. Oklahoma (6:42.2)

Novice Eight “C” Final Results
1. Kansas State (6:42.3)
2. Kansas (6:48.8)
3. Indiana (6:49.0)
4. Oklahoma (7:03.0)

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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