Spring Break
2,000 meters to the title
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Sports
The University of Connecticut women's rowing team travels to Camden, N.J. this weekend for the Big East Championship Regatta, a 2,000-meter race to determine the 2009 conference champion.
"This is the most competitive race we have all spring," said UConn head coach Jennifer Sanford, who believes her crews have the potential to be giant-killers this weekend at Cooper River Park.
Syracuse and Notre Dame are the only two schools to ever be awarded the point trophy and be named Big East champion.
Both Notre Dame and Syracuse have had mixed results this year, according to Sanford.
"If we catch [Notre Dame or Syracuse] down while we're up, I feel like we could pass one or both of them," Sanford said.
Despite their dominance in the regatta, neither the Orange nor the Fighting Irish are the top seed this year. Louisville, who according to Sanford has not been challenged this season, is first seed. Notre Dame is second, followed by Syracuse and Rutgers. UConn is seeded fifth, in front of Georgetown, Villanova and West Virginia, respectively.
The regatta consists of four events, each broken up into two heats of four crews. The three fastest crews from each heat qualify for the final. The two remaining crews race in the petite final.
In each final, points are awarded to the crews based on their final standing. The crew with the most points at the end of the day is named conference champion.
UConn will participate in all four events. Both the varsity and second varsity eights are seeded fifth. The novice eight-Sanford's most successful boat this season-is seeded third. The varsity four is seeded eighth.
The novice eight won their last three races this past fall. However, they had tough races in the Knecht Cup two weeks ago, and are looking to bounce back.
"We have a very young team this year," Sanford said. "We only have two seniors, and only one in the varsity boat."
The first heat in the varsity-eight event begins Saturday at 7 a.m. It pits UConn against Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia. If UConn advances to the final, they will race at 1 p.m.
"This is the most competitive race we have all spring," said UConn head coach Jennifer Sanford, who believes her crews have the potential to be giant-killers this weekend at Cooper River Park.
Syracuse and Notre Dame are the only two schools to ever be awarded the point trophy and be named Big East champion.
Both Notre Dame and Syracuse have had mixed results this year, according to Sanford.
"If we catch [Notre Dame or Syracuse] down while we're up, I feel like we could pass one or both of them," Sanford said.
Despite their dominance in the regatta, neither the Orange nor the Fighting Irish are the top seed this year. Louisville, who according to Sanford has not been challenged this season, is first seed. Notre Dame is second, followed by Syracuse and Rutgers. UConn is seeded fifth, in front of Georgetown, Villanova and West Virginia, respectively.
The regatta consists of four events, each broken up into two heats of four crews. The three fastest crews from each heat qualify for the final. The two remaining crews race in the petite final.
In each final, points are awarded to the crews based on their final standing. The crew with the most points at the end of the day is named conference champion.
UConn will participate in all four events. Both the varsity and second varsity eights are seeded fifth. The novice eight-Sanford's most successful boat this season-is seeded third. The varsity four is seeded eighth.
The novice eight won their last three races this past fall. However, they had tough races in the Knecht Cup two weeks ago, and are looking to bounce back.
"We have a very young team this year," Sanford said. "We only have two seniors, and only one in the varsity boat."
The first heat in the varsity-eight event begins Saturday at 7 a.m. It pits UConn against Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia. If UConn advances to the final, they will race at 1 p.m.
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