Ready to Row: OU Prepares For Spring

NORMAN – Spring has sprung and with it, Oklahoma rowing season is set to begin. After a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship last year, the OU rowing team look to build on its successes from 2017.

The Sooners start their season this week with a spring break training trip to San Diego that started Sunday, culminating in the San Diego Crew Classic on Saturday and Sunday. On April 7, they head east to Norfolk, Va., to compete in the Big 12 Double Dual. OU concludes its season with trips to Austin, Texas, for the Longhorn Invitational on April 28 and Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Big 12 Championship on May 12 and 13.

With the spring season on the horizon, SoonerSports.com sat down with OU head coach Leeanne Crain to preview 2018.

Q: What is one meet you are looking forward to?

“In the sport of rowing, every race is important. We have four chances throughout the regular season to earn the respect of the NCAA regional ranking committees and top-20 pollsters, so every opportunity we have to prove our speed becomes critical to the ultimate success of our season. A strong performance at the Big 12 Championship is imperative, but we also need a very strong resume to be considered for NCAA Championships. With a field of 22 teams, and 50 percent of those selected from conference championship automatic qualifiers, there are only 11 at-large spots remaining. We need to do everything we can in the regular season to establish ourselves as a legitimate contender at the national championship in May.”

Q: What are your expectations for the season?

“I prefer to set goals over expectations. Final outcomes are determined by so many variables and to me goals are tangible. Expectations fluctuate depending on circumstances and circumstances change throughout the season. For me, goals are best kept simple. Work hard, have a “team first” approach, be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good of the team, do everything with purpose and integrity, and treat others with respect and dignity despite personal differences. If we can do those things, we will find success in competition and in life.”

Q: What newcomer is going to make a name for herself this season?

“We have so many talented freshmen on this roster. Each of them bring something special to the team but from a performance perspective, probably the two who will make the greatest impact this season are Maria Pergouli and Katja Ruebling. Both have competed on the international scene for their respective countries (Greece and Germany) and they bring a level of experience and talent that's impressive and influential in moving the program forward. Sophie Salt is another freshman who has amazing potential in this sport. Others who will add speed are Maxi Baumgart, Emma Reinsch, Brooke Baldwin and Breah McKay. This is going to be a fun group to watch develop over the next four years.”

Players Mentioned

Brooke Baldwin

Brooke Baldwin

Maxi Baumgart

Maxi Baumgart

Breah McKay

Breah McKay

Maria Pergouli

Emma Reinsch

Emma Reinsch

Katja Ruebling

Sophie Salt

Sophie Salt

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