The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championship
No. 4 Rowing advances all boats to A/B Semifinals at NCAA Championship
05.31.2019 | Rowing
The Longhorns placed in the top two of each race on Friday afternoon.
RESULTS | DAY 1 VIDEO REPLAY (NCAA)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- On Friday afternoon, all No. 4 University of Texas boats placed in the top two spots, sending the entire team to Saturday's A/B semifinals. Despite several hours of race delay due to debris on the course, the Longhorns maintained composure and advanced all crews in a strong fashion.
Head Coach Dave O'Neill was very pleased with his team: "Today was a good day, but it's only Day One. This regatta is a multi-step process, and it's important to manage all the emotion, recovery, and preparation that each phase requires. I'm really impressed with the way the team handled the day and then raced really well. It's now a quick turnaround for tomorrow's semi's, but we'll be ready for what's ahead."
The Texas first eight set the tone for the day, finishing its heat in exciting first place fashion (6:07.284), ahead of No. 1 Washington and No. 10 Virginia.
"The first eight did a great job, and they've been improving each week since mid-April," said O'Neill of his top boat. "It was good to see them perform so well today, but it was only the heat. Tomorrow will be another challenge."
Next up for the burnt orange was the second eight, which narrowly finished off of No. 2 Stanford's stern at 6:21.829. The Horns were able to surge ahead of No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 12 Duke to maintain second place and progress to Saturday's A/B semis. Sophomore stroke Katelyn Bouthillette, focused on the championship one day at a time, offered: "Today was a solid start for the team and we're really excited to have all boats in the A/B semis. Now, we're fully focused on recovering and preparing for tomorrow, so we can make those important races great."
"Today was the first real effort for a revamped line-up in the second eight," said O'Neill. "In fact, I haven't seen what this configuration looks like on the water since weather prevented our practice the other day. By all indications it works well, so we'll stick with it for sure."
The Texas four also answered the call, crushing its heat with a 7:08.753 win over No. 13 Rutgers and No. 6 Princeton, securing a spot in the A/B semifinals. In her last few days of collegiate racing, senior stroke seat Lauren Mufarreh stated: "We did what we needed to do. Tomorrow's racing will be fast and we are preparing to go hard and race."
"The four took charge early and controlled the race from the start," said O'Neill. "They know it will be the last time all year they're open water ahead at the half-way, and more will be required in the second half."
RESULTS
I Eight: 1. TEXAS 6:07.284, 2. Washington 6:09.394, 3. Virginia 6:20.047, 4. Wisconsin 6:23.960, 5. Gonzaga 6:31.404, 6. Northeastern 6:36.115
II Eight: 1. Stanford 6:20.693, 2. TEXAS 6:21.829, 3. Wisconsin 6:32.664, 4. Duke 6:33.850, 5. Iowa 6:41.614, 6. Marist 7:14.917
Four: 1. TEXAS 7:08.753, 2. Rutgers 7:11.924, 3. Princeton 7:13.830, 4. Virginia 7:19.166, 5. Rhode Island 7:41.824, 6. Marist 7:51.634
LINEUPS
I Eight: (C) Ashley Jacobs, (S) Ljiljana Josic, (7) Milica Slijepcevic, (6) Fanny Bon, (5) Aspa Christodoulidis, (4) Alexandra Watson, (3) Francesca Raggi, (2) Maria Valencia, (B) Kaitlin Knifton
II Eight: (C) Lindsey Devore, (S) Katelyn Bouthillette, (7) Margaret Dail, (6) Payten Kooyers, (5) Merilynn Finley, (4) Alexa McAuliffe, (3) Marlowe Eldridge, (2) Susanna Temming, (B) Alice Bowyer
Four: (C) Kay Murphy, (S) Lauren Mufarreh, (3) Kendall Chapman, (2) Sophie Pendrill, (B) Claudia Destefani
Saturday A/B Semifinals
| Boat | Time | Lane 1 | Lane 2 | Lane 3 | Lane 4 | Lane 5 | Lane 6 |
| First Eight | 9:20 a.m. ET | Virginia | Iowa | California | TEXAS | Michigan | Brown |
| Second Eight | 10:00 a.m. ET | Indiana | Ohio State | California | Washington | TEXAS | Yale |
| Four | 10:40 a.m. ET | Princeton | Yale | TEXAS | Washington | Michigan | Brown |
Players Mentioned
