No. 1 Rowing sweeps No. 4 Princeton and No. 16 Rutgers

Saturday, April 23

Princeton, N.J.

8 A.M. CT / 9 A.M. ET

University of Texas

No. 4 Princeton, No. 16 Rutgers

No. 1 Rowing sweeps No. 4 Princeton and No. 16 Rutgers

04.23.2022 | Rowing

The Longhorns defeated the Tigers and Scarlet Knights in four races on Saturday.

PRINCETON, N.J. – No. 1 Texas Rowing swept four races against No. 4 Princeton and No. 16 Rutgers at Lake Carnegie on Saturday morning. Texas' First Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four boats remain unbeaten through the first four competitions of the season.

"It was a great morning of racing for us, and I'm mostly pleased with how we raced," said Texas head coach Dave O'Neill.

Racing in good conditions with a slight headwind of five mph, Texas' second eight opened the morning in dominating fashion with an impressive 14-second victory, crossing the line at 6:32.0, followed by Princeton at 6:46.2 and Rutgers in 7:04.7.

"The second eight took a big step forward, and Hannah Medcalf really carried the improvements from practice into the racing," O'Neill said. "This will be important moving forward."

That result was followed by a close race in the first eight, with Texas topping Princeton by four seconds, 6:18.6 to 6:22.6, while Rutgers placed third in 6:39.6.

"We expected the first eight to be a tight one, and Princeton showed some real speed," O'Neil said. "We put Kate Knifton and Fran Raggi back together at stern pair, and the two of them work so well together. They set a terrific, powerful and consistent rhythm, and I think that was a key to their win."

In the Varsity Four race, Texas took an early lead that grew to over a length by the midway point of the 2,000-meter course. Princeton made some gains over the final half of the race and closed in on the Longhorns, but Texas came away with the victory in 7:16.9 to the Tigers' 7:19.7. Rutgers placed third with a time of 7:45.8.

The Second Four closed out the sweep with a time of 7:21.5, 12 seconds ahead of Princeton (7:33.8) and an 18-second margin over Rutgers (7:39.8).

"The first four got the win although they were challenged the whole way. There are some real competitors in that boat, and they really had to fight for the win," O'Neill said. "The second four looked really good and had a terrific race. It was the first race for both Anna Garrison and Elise Payne, and they raced like seasoned pros. I give the entire boat a lot of credit.

"We have a big week ahead and many steps to take. There are a few areas we need to improve, and I'm confident we make the necessary adjustments moving forward."

Next on the docket for Texas is the 21st Longhorn Invitational, set for Saturday, April 30 at Walter E. Long Lake. Several of the top teams in the nation are set to compete as the Longhorns will compete against No. 8 Ohio State, No. 13 Virginia, No. 17 SMU, UCLA and Alabama.

RESULTS
First Eight
1. TEXAS – 6:18.6
2. Princeton – 6:22.6
3. Rutgers – 6:39.6

Second Eight
1. TEXAS – 6:32.0
2. Princeton – 6:46.2
3. Rutgers – 7:04.7

First Four
1. TEXAS – 7:16.9
2. Princeton – 7:19.7
3. Rutgers – 7:45.8

Second Four
1. TEXAS – 7:21.5
2. Princeton – 7:33.8
3. Rutgers – 7:39.8

LINEUPS
First Eight: Rachel Rane (coxswain), Kaitlin Knifton (stroke) Francesca Raggi, Anna Jensen, Etta Carpender, Aspa Christodoulidis, Susanna Temming, Sophia Calabrese, Lisa Gutfleisch (bow)