No. 1 Rowing advances all three boats to Grand Finals of NCAA Championships

Saturday, May 29

Sarasota, Fla.

7:36 a.m. CT/8:36 a.m. ET

University of Texas

NCAA Championships

No. 1 Rowing advances all three boats to Grand Finals of NCAA Championships

05.29.2021 | Rowing

Results

The Longhorns swept their three races for the second consecutive day.

SARASOTA, Fla. – No. 1 Texas Rowing swept all three of its NCAA Rowing Championships semifinal races at Nathan Benderson Park on Saturday to advance all boats Sunday's Grand Finals. It is the first time Texas has won all three semifinal races and the third consecutive championship in which all three boats have advanced to the Grand Final. Texas has registered victories each of their six races at the 2021 NCAA Championships.

"Saturday at this regatta is always a stressful day, since the competition is so tough and there's always something that comes up," said Texas head coach Dave O'Neill. "That was definitely the case with the first eight when they hit a log and lost their skeg in the warmup. I give a lot of credit to our boatman, Spencer Kales, and our boat manufacturer for making a quick repair. The crew didn't miss a beat as they rowed back to the start and had a terrific race."

The equipment issue on the Texas boat delayed the start of their I Eight heat, but the Longhorns would not be deterred. Michigan moved out quickly and had the lead at the 250-meter mark, but Texas slowly chipped away at the gap, drawing closer by 500m and overtaking the Wolverines by the 750-meter marker. Texas won with a time of 6:09.073, followed by runner-up Michigan at 6:13.681 and third-place finisher Rutgers at 6:14.057.

Texas' II Eight jumped out in front early, taking the lead by 250 meters and extending the lead to more than a length at 500m. Stanford drew closer over the second 500m, but the Longhorns held a firm grip on the lead and maintained their advantage throughout the remainder of the race, winning with a time of 6:11.518. The Cardinal placed second with a time of 6:13.270, while Virginia took third with a mark of 6:18.844.

"The second did exactly what they needed to do. They had a great start and fought off a tough challenge through the middle and finished strong," O'Neill said. "No doubt tomorrow will be even tougher."

In the Fours, Virginia was out in front at 250m and maintained the lead at 500m, but Texas found a rhythm and took a slight lead at 1000m. The teams were neck-and-neck over much of the final 1000m, with the Longhorns extending the lead to two and a half seats at 1500m and closing out the race a length ahead. Texas registered a winning time of 7:00.511 with Virginia claiming second at 7:03.529 and Ohio State posting a time of 7:06.647 to finish third.

"The four has been cool and relatively in control the last couple of days," O'Neill said. "I've been impressed with how they've handled the pressure and intensity, and they'll be ready for a big effort tomorrow."

Texas will be rowing in lane three in all three races tomorrow and is one of five teams to qualify a boat in each Grand Final race, along with No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Virginia and No. 5 Michigan. Sixth-ranked Ohio State will have a boat in the Second Eight and Fours Grand Finals while No. 7 Rutgers will race in the First Eight Grand Final.

GRAND FINAL SCHEDULE
9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET) – Varsity Four
Lane 1: Ohio State
Lane 2: Washington
Lane 3: Texas
Lane 4: Stanford
Lane 5: Virginia
Lane 6: Michigan

9:24 a.m. CT (10:24 a.m. ET) – Second Eight
Lane 1: Virginia
Lane 2: Ohio State
Lane 3: Texas
Lane 4: Washington
Lane 5: Stanford
Lane 6: Michigan

9:48 a.m. CT (10:48 a.m. ET) – First Eight
Lane 1: Rutgers
Lane 2: Washington
Lane 3: Texas
Lane 4: Stanford
Lane 5: Michigan
Lane 6: Virginia

SEMIFINAL RESULTS
I Eight, A/B Semifinals
1. TEXAS - 6:09.073
2. Michigan - 6:13.681
3. Rutgers - 6:14.057
4. Ohio State - 6:16.009
5. Alabama - 6:28.449
6. Syracuse - 6:31.507

II Eight, A/B Semifinals
1. TEXAS - 6:11.518
2. Stanford - 6:13.270
3. Virginia - 6:18.844
4. Brown - 6:24.084
5. Rutgers - 6:29.968
6. Syracuse - 6:30.184

Fours, A/B Semifinals
1. TEXAS - 7:00.511
2. Virginia - 7:03.529
3. Ohio State - 7:06.647
4. Rutgers - 7:08.803
5. Duke - 7:20.231
6. Washington State - 7:22.117

LINEUPS

I Eight: Rachel Rane (coxswain), Kaitlin Knifton (stroke), Francesca Raggi, Alexandra Watson, Aspa Christodoulidis, Daisy Mazzio-Manson, Anna Jensen, Susanna Temming, Lisa Gutfleisch (bow)