The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Big 12 Championships
Rowing captures inaugural Big 12 Championship
05.02.2009 | Rowing
May 2, 2009
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The Texas Rowing team won the inaugural Big 12 Rowing Championship, Saturday morning on Wyandotte County Lake, marking its first conference title after capturing the previous seven Big 12 Invitational crowns.
Texas won the conference's first title, totaling 51 points, while Kansas State finished second with 48 points and Kansas placed third with 45 points. Oklahoma did not compete for the crown, only participating in the novice and varsity four races. Texas' varsity and novice squads combined for two victories, winning the second novice eight and second varsity eight races.
"It is certainly nice to be recognized in a wider realm with an official championship," head coach Carie Graves said. "All of the schools have really upped their game now that it is a championship and that was evident in the competitiveness that we witnessed today."
The Longhorns' second varsity eight boat comprised of coxswain Annie Heiner, Stephanie Matejka, Callie Mattrisch, Jelena Zunic, Anna Thomson, Courtney Nicklas, Elizabeth Meserve, Laura Perkins and Angela Kirchner posted a time of 6:50.2, knocking off Kansas (6:56.5) and Kansas State (7:22.0) to claim 14 points in the overall standings.
Texas' second novice boat of coxswain Meg Kelly, Sharon Dietz, Ashley Hiatt, Kaitlin Postle, Madonna Bregon, Michelle Kearby, Emily Lantz, Andrea Janowski and Dani Mohling clocked a time of 7:07.8 as it bested Oklahoma (7:21.3), Kansas (7:36.6) and Kansas State (7:42.5)
"This was a team trophy and a great team effort by this group today," Graves said. "The varsity was a little disappointing, but our other boats really stepped up their game with the 2V8 performing well and the varsity four continuing to get faster."
UT's first varsity boat of coxswain Mary Cait McPherson, stroke Jennifer VanderMaarel, Felicia Izaguirre-Werner , Meg George, Karli Sheahan, Jacqueline Gorcyca, Nancy Arrington, Colleen Irby and Sara Cottingham finished second in its race, completing the race in 6:53.8, trailing Kansas State (6:44.4) and besting Kansas (7:05.3).
Texas placed third in the first novice eight and varsity four races. In the novice eight race, UT clocked a time of 6:59.3, finishing behind OU's 6:51.4 and Kansas State's 6:57.6, while finishing ahead of Kansas (7:09.7). Oklahoma won the varsity four race as well, posting a time of 7:24.6, defeating Kansas which clocked a 7:36.4 and the Horns who crossed the finish in 7:41.2.
The overall championship is determined by a point scale that designates a certain number of points for first, second and third place in each race. The first varsity race awards 27, 24 and 21 points, while the 2V8 awards 14, 12 and 10 and the 1V4 awards seven, six and five. In the novice races the 1N8 awards five, four and three points and the 2N8 awards three, two and one points.
Texas returns to the water on Saturday, May 16 when it travels to Oak Ridge, Tenn. for South/Central Regionals.
