Rowing: WVU Preps for BIG EAST Championships
April 27, 2007 02:27 PM | General
April 27, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University rowing team prepares for yet another big weekend this spring as it travels to the waters of Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., to compete at the BIG EAST Championships on Sunday, April 29.
The varsity four comprised of Brittany Brooks, Kensie Phillips, Kim Benda, Caroline Rettig and coxswain Carla Edwards enter the weekend as the favorites in varsity four competition as the boat ranks second in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The ranking is the first for the varsity four since 2001. That season West Virginia ranked first.
“This weekend we are looking forward to racing, especially in the varsity four,” says head coach Nancy LaRocque. “These women raced together for the first time last weekend and came out victorious. They row this boat very well together and are looking forward to the challenge of racing at BIG EASTs.”
The Mountaineers are coming off an exciting performance at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championships in Oakridge, Tenn., last weekend as the varsity four claimed first place. The Mountaineer four blew through competition at the regatta to take first place in a time of 7:37.9.
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.
WVU will look to improve on last year’s finish of ninth overall at the conference championships. Four West Virginia boats will compete this weekend including the varsity four, varsity eight, novice four and novice eight.
