Rowing: Varsity Four Ranked Second in Region
April 25, 2007 01:36 PM | General
April 25, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University rowing team’s varsity four is ranked second in the Mid Atlantic region this week after a stellar performance last weekend at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championships in Oakridge, Tenn.
The ranking is the first for the varsity four since 2001. That season the Mountaineers ranked first.
“We are excited to be ranked second in the Mid Atlantic going into this weekend's race,” says head coach Nancy LaRocque. “Doing well in an event at the BIG EAST Championships would be great for our team, so I hope we can live up to our expectations.”
Princeton came in first this week ahead of WVU. Navy, Bucknell, Penn and Syracuse rank third, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, to round out the rankings.
The Mountaineer four comprised of Brittany Brooks, Kensie Phillips, Kim Benda, Caroline Rettig and coxswain Carla Edwards blew through competition at the regatta to take first place in a time of 7:37.9, nearly six full seconds ahead of second-place Central Florida (7:43.4).
The win marked the first time a WVU boat finished first at SIRAs. The highest previous finish was second by the varsity four in 2001 and the varsity eight in 2003.
The Mountaineers return to action this weekend when they hit the waters of Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., to compete at the BIG EAST Championships on Sunday, April 29.
