The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Michigan
No. 2 Rowing preview: at No. 9 Michigan
04.12.2024 | Rowing
Texas and Michigan will compete in a regular-season head-to-head matchup for the fourth consecutive year.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 2 Texas Rowing is heading north to Michigan to race against the ninth-ranked Wolverines, the fourth straight year the squads will compete in head-to-head racing during the regular season. The teams will compete in in four events over a 2,000-meter course on Belleville Lake, racing in the first and second eight boats, and the first and second four boats.
"We expect a big challenge this weekend," said Texas head coach Dave O'Neill. "Michigan is always tough competition, and we need to be ready for a terrific race.
"The leadership within our team this year is something special, and that's critical to a great team. I've been particularly impressed by Carly Legenzowski, Etta Carpender, Lanie Nitsch and Anna Jensen. They're making the most of their final year with us, and everyone is faster for it."
This weekend's trip marks the third time in four seasons that Texas will travel to Michigan. In last year's meeting on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, the Longhorns won three races, capturing victories in the First Eight, Second Eight and First Four, while the Wolverines were the winner in the Second Four.
When: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Where: Belleville Lake, Mich.
Live Stream: Races will stream on the Michigan Instagram account at @umichrowing.
Results: Results will be available on X at @TexasRowing.
Tentative Race Schedule
Saturday, April 13
7:30 a.m. CT – I Eight (Lane 1)
7:45 a.m. CT – II Eight (Lane 2)
8:00 a.m. CT – I Four (Lane 2)
8:15 a.m. CT – II Four (Lane 2)
Last Time Out
Competing against Pac-12 powers Washington and California, among other top programs, the Longhorns won three trophies last weekend at the prestigious San Diego Crew Classic. Texas opened the finals session with a convincing victory in the Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational by the I Eight, then the Four followed with a third-straight title in the Karen Plumleigh Cortney Cup and the II Eight captured the Jackie Ann Stitt Hungness Trophy. The Longhorns also earned a runner-up result in the Carley Copley Cup in the Open Eight.
A Look at the Longhorns
The eight-time defending Big 12 Conference champion Longhorns return two-time first-team All-American Anna Jensen, as well as fellow 2023 All-Big 12 Team selection Etta Carpender. Three of the four rowers from the national title-winning Four are also back in Abby Dawson, Anna Garrison and Cassandre Korvink-Kucinski. All told, 13 of the 20 rowers and one coxswain who competed at the 2023 National Championship regatta are back for the 2023-24 season.
In addition to the trio from last year's champion Four, returning from the Texas I Eight are Jensen, Carpender and Lanie Nitsch, while the II Eight returnees are coxswain Carly Legenzowski and rowers Nadja Yaroschuk, Hannah Medcalf, Allie Alton, Marg Van der Wal, Taryn Kooyers, Sue Holderness and Amber Harwood.
Big 12 Weekly Honors
The Texas First Eight was selected the Big 12 Boat of the Week, the conference announced on Wednesday. The Longhorns earned the weekly conference honor after sweeping a pair of races at the San Diego Crew Classic.
Texas' I Eight featured senior coxswain Carly Legenzowski, as well as graduate student Mette Nielsen, graduate student, Lanie Nitsch, senior Anna Jensen, graduate student Etta Carpender, sophomore Marg Van der Wal, senior Parker Illingworth, fifth-year Cassandre Korvink-Kucinski and sophomore Abby Dawson.
Racing in the prestigious Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational in a field that included Pac-12 powers Washington and California, the Texas I Eight won two races by an average of over four seconds to claim the event victory.
Preseason Accolades
Jensen and Nitsch were named to the inaugural College Rowing Coaches Association Athletes to Watch list.
Jensen, a native of Midland, Mich., is a two-time first-team All-American, one of 10 Longhorns to be named to the first team on multiple occasions. She has rowed in the Texas I Eight in each of her first three seasons on the Forty Acres, helping the Longhorns to team and First Eight national titles in 2021 and 2022. A two-time All-Big 12 selection and the 2021 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Jensen won gold with USRowing at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in the Women's Coxless Four (BW4-).
Nitsch, who hails from McAllen, Texas, has competed in the last three NCAA Championships, rowing in the Four in 2021, Second Eight in 2022 and First Eight in 2023. A three-time Big 12 Champion, she rowed with Team USA at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, winning gold with the Women's Eight (BW8+).
Texas in the Polls
Texas climbed to No. 2 on the latest Pocock Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Rowing Poll following a dominant weekend at the San Diego Crew Classic. Defending national champion Stanford has held the No. 1 spot throughout the season. Princeton is ranked third and California fourth, while Yale rounds out the top five.
Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll Division Rankings – Week 4 (April 10)
1. Stanford
2. TEXAS
3. Princeton
4. California
5. Yale
6. Brown
7. Washington
8. Syracuse
9. Michigan
10. Pennsylvania
11. Virginia
12. Ohio State
13. Duke
14. Tennessee
15. Rutgers
16. Indiana
17. Oregon State
18. Harvard
19. Washington State
20. Southern California
Championship Pedigree
Texas has registered top-eight results in each of the last eight NCAA Championship Regattas:
2023 – 4th (Boat National Title: Four)
2022 – National Champion (Boat National Title: I Eight)
2021 – National Champion (Boat National Title: I Eight)
2020 – No regatta
2019 – 2nd
2018 – 3rd
2017 – 4th
2016 – 8th
2015 – 7th
Defending Conference Champions
Texas enters 2023-24 as the eight-time defending Big 12 Conference Champions. In all, Texas has won 12 of the 14 Big 12 Conference Championships held, placing runner-up in 2013 and fourth in 2014.
Players Mentioned
