The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championships
No. 1 Rowing advances all boats to Sunday’s Grand Finals at NCAA Championships
06.01.2024 | Rowing
BETHEL, Ohio – No. 1 Texas Rowing secured victories in the Varsity Eight and Four and finished runner-up in the Second Eight at Saturday morning's 2024 NCAA Semifinals at Harsha Lake to advance all three boats to Sunday's Grand Finals. The Longhorns advance all three boats to the Grand Finals for the sixth straight championship.
On Sunday, the Longhorns will look to become just the third program to win three NCAA titles over a four-year stretch, joining Brown (1999-2000, '02) and Ohio State (2013-15).
"We knew we needed to be prepared to race hard today, and I'm pleased with how all boats performed," said head coach Dave O'Neill. "Getting all three boats in the A Finals is critical, and every crew has a good shot at the podium. We stayed focused on what we could control, and we're pleased with how things worked out."
The Varsity Eight set the tone early with a dominant open water victory in the first race of the day, clocking in at 6:11.845. Texas jumped out to an early lead in the first 500 meters and never looked back, leading throughout the entire race. The Longhorns crossed the finish line nearly five seconds earlier than runner-up Tennessee (6:16.698) followed by third place Washington (6:18.772), fourth place Michigan (6:20.948), fifth place Yale (6:25.403) and sixth place Ohio State (6:26.795).
"The First Eight was aggressive and controlled throughout, and they've put themselves in a good place for tomorrow," said O'Neill. "There's a lot of experience in that boat, especially in the bow pair. Amber Harwood and Cassandre Korvink-Kucinski have really stepped up this year, and it is good to have such a solid bow pair."
The Longhorns found themselves in another tightly contested clash in the II Eight, taking second behind Stanford (6:22.455) and posting a final time of 6:26.044 to clinch a spot in Sunday's Grand Final. In the first 1,000 meters of the race, UT trailed Stanford and Tennessee before overtaking the Volunteers over halfway through the race for second place. Tennessee finished third after punching a final time of 6:27.693 followed by fourth place Michigan (6:31.644), fifth place Ohio State (6:37.541) and sixth place Virginia (6:38.400).
In the Four, UT commanded during the entire race and never surrendered after cruising to an early lead in the first 500 meters. The Longhorns closed out Saturday's competition with an open water win and final time of 7:07.379, finishing over four seconds in front of second place Yale (7:12.24). Washington (3rd – 7:16.534), California (4th – 7:21.749), Rutgers (5th – 7:24.795) and Pennsylvania (6th – 7:29.765) followed suit.
"The Four was fantastic today, and they are really coming into their own," said O'Neill. "Janet Goode is the voice inside that boat, and she has done a terrific job coxing them. This is her fifth year on the team and her first NCAA Championship. She's making the most of it."
Lineups
I Eight: Carly Legenzowski (C), Mette Nielsen, Lanie Nitsch, Anna Jensen, Etta Carpender, Marg Van der Wal, Abby Dawson, Cassandre Korvink-Kucinski and Amber Harwood
II Eight: Amy Werner (C), Sue Holderness, Paula Becher, Rhiannon Luke, Allie Alton, Phoebe Wise, Parker Illingworth, Taryn Kooyers and Anna Garrison
Four: Janet Goode (C), Nadja Yaroschuk, Phoebe Robinson, Katherine Nordheim and Lucy Searle.
Grand Finals Schedule (all times listed in Central)
Sunday, June 2 – Harsha Lake, Bethel, Ohio
Four: 7:56 a.m.
II Eight: 8:12 a.m.
I Eight: 8:28 a.m.
Players Mentioned
