The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championships
No. 4 Rowing advances pair of boats to championship finals at NCAA Championships
05.27.2017 | Rowing
Horns send their varsity eight boat and four boat to Sunday’s grand finals.
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WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – No. 4 Texas advanced its varsity eight and its four boat to the championship final (grand final) and qualified its second varsity eight boat for the consolation final Saturday on day two at the 2017 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships.
Texas had qualified all three boats – the I Eight (varsity eight), II Eight (second varsity eight) and Four – for Saturday's A-B semifinals, and all three boats remained in national title contention through day one. The Longhorns needed top-three finishes from each boat in their respective A-B semifinal to reach Sunday's championship final (grand final). The I Eight and the Four both remain in national title contention and will finish no worse than sixth place on Sunday.
The II Eight, with its place in Sunday's petite final, will finish anywhere from seventh through 12th place depending upon its petite final finish.
Texas' I Eight qualified for a second grand final in the last three years, as the Longhorns passed perennial power Ohio State, who has won three of the last four NCAA team titles, in the final 500 meters. Washington and California held first and second place throughout the 2,000-meter race and left Texas and Ohio State to fight for the third and final qualifying position for the grand final.
Texas led Ohio State by over a second through 500 meters, but the Buckeyes out-split the entire field and took third place through the 1,000-meter mark. OSU led Texas by about half a second with 500 meters to go, but the Longhorns used a furious final charge to eclipse the Buckeyes and take third place in 6:12.137. Ohio State placed fourth at 6:12.359.
The Longhorns' II Eight found itself in fifth place through 1,000 meters before passing Yale for fourth place by the 1,500-meter mark. Texas made a valiant run for the third and final qualifying spot for the grand final, but Brown held off the Horns for third at 6:24.285. Texas took fourth at 6:24.928 and landed a spot in Sunday's petite final.
Texas' Four boat made history and became the first Longhorns' Four to reach a grand final at the NCAA Championships. Under third-year Texas head coach Dave O'Neill, UT has now qualified all three boats for at least one championship final at the national championship regatta.
The UT Four held third place over Stanford through 1,000 meters and stretched its lead through the race's second half. Texas finished comfortably in third at 7:04.396. California and Ohio State held the top-two qualifying spots, and the Longhorns grabbed the final championship finals berth with a nearly five-second cushion over Stanford.
Texas races the Four grand final Sunday at 10:12 a.m., the II Eight petite final at 10:24 a.m. and the I Eight grand final at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern). The Longhorns seek their first top-five team finish on Sunday after placing a program-best seventh place two years ago and eighth place at the 22-team regatta a year ago.
POST-REGATTA COMMENTS
Texas head coach Dave O'Neill
On the I Eight
A few coaches were saying this looks like the (grand) final in this heat, or what people thought would be the grand final. It had the top-three seeded crews all in there together. It was fast. We had an okay start, but we always talk about going a full 2,000 meters. We had to go hard in that second half, but that's what they were prepared to do, and they pulled it off. They didn't know they made it (the grand final) until they had reached the dock. It was the longest 25 minutes of their lives!
On the II Eight
They fought really hard and I'm really proud of them. 6:24 is a really fast time for that boat. They were just on the wrong side of the result this time. They'll be fully prepared for tomorrow in the "B" final, and they'll give everything they have.
On the Four
That was great. They looked solid, and they're right in the hunt to get on the podium, but it's going to be tough. They had a solid race. Once they got into third, they had it, and then they made it a close race with Ohio State for second. It should be exciting tomorrow.
On Sunday's finals
The big thing is can we get on the podium? (top-3 individual finishes, top-4 team finish) Every boat knows it has a job to do. It's all about the team for us. If every boat races hard, I think we can get on the podium. It's going to be great competition. The level of competition has stepped up another notch this year. The times are so fast, and it's cool for us to be at the forefront of it all.
2017 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships
Day Two A-B Semifinals (Top 3 to grand final, Bottom 3 to petite final)
I Eight – A-B Semifinal 1
Texas Crew: Shannon Barry (coxswain), Ljiljana Josic, Pippa Loveard, Gia Doonan, Milica Slijepcevic, Mariam Soufi, Alice Bowyer, Emily Froehlich, Fanny Bon
1 Washington, 6:09.857
2 California, 6:11.795
3 TEXAS, 6:12.137
4 Ohio State, 6:12.359
5 Brown, 6:21.372
6 Wisconsin, 6:23.300
II Eight – A-B Semifinal 1
Texas Crew: Samantha Ennis (coxswain), Margaret Dail, Inga Gasbakk, Alexandra Watson, Alexa McAuliffe, Sarah Cadman, Jillian Renly, Amy Louise Smith, Rachel Fleming
1 Washington, 6:18.492
2 Ohio State, 6:22.488
3 Brown, 6:24.285
4 TEXAS, 6:24.928
5 Yale, 6:29.612
6 Syracuse, 6:43.015
Four – A-B Semifinal 1
Texas Crew: Ashley Jacobs (coxswain), Allyson Hite, Courtney Crossley, Sara Neaves, Barb Klavin
1 California, 6:58.482
2 Ohio State, 7:03.802
3 TEXAS, 7:04.396
4 Stanford, 7:09.036
5 Wisconsin, 7:09.932
6 Virginia, 7:21.699
Players Mentioned
