WVU Begins Season at Cooper Sprints

Sunday, March 25

Cherry Hill, N.J.

9:00 a.m.

West Virginia University

Cooper Sprints

March 25, 2018 03:44 PM | Rowing

By: Chris Pharis

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Highlighted by a second-place finish in the varsity eight Petite Final, the West Virginia University rowing team began the spring season at the Cooper Sprints in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on Sunday.

Cooper Sprints Results

"There are probably more positive than negative takeaways from our first racing of the season, but those negatives weigh heavily on boat speed. In short, we need to take gains made on land and apply them better on the water," coach Jimmy King said.

The Mountaineers kicked off the competition with the varsity eight boat competing in the second heat. In the heat, the Mountaineers finished in 7:51.30, placing them in the Petite Final later that the morning. In the final, the crew willed their way to a second-place finish with a time of 8:04.07.

Following the varsity eight race, the second varsity eight boat competed in the first of two heats. In the heat, West Virginia crossed the line in 7:45.94, the fastest time by a Mountaineer boat in the competition, placing fourth and sending them to their respective Petite Final. The Mountaineers ended up placing third, with a time of 8:11.33.

In the varsity four race, the Mountaineers clocked a time of 9:09.13 in the 2,000-meter course, sending them to the Petite Final. In the final, the crew was edged by North Carolina and Rhode Island, finishing in third place.

WVU closed the competition with the third varsity eight, as the crew of Madelene Blackwood, Taylor Newman, Morgan Newman, Kileigh Lade, Alexandria Young, Jordan Wittmaack, Margaret Heflin, Jelena Veskov and coxswain Olivia Martinelli finished in 8:20.40, taking fifth in the first heat. In the Grand Final, the Mountaineers finished in fifth place with a time of 8:24.07.

"Attitude and effort were solid among our crews today and going forward we need to be consistent with that in training as well in order to see better race results," King said.

The Mountaineers will take a week off from competition before returning to the water for the Big 12 Duals on April 7. The Big 12 duals will take place in Norfolk, Virginia, as the Mountaineers race against Oklahoma and 2017 Big 12 champion Texas. The duals will be hosted by Big 12 Conference affiliate Old Dominion and will take place at Lakewood Park.
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SUNDAY'S LINEUPS

First Varsity Eight: Amy Hoaglund, Hannah Simmerly, Allyson George, Cassia Busch, Alissa Johnson, Grace Dever, Carly Ledbetter, Lindsay Krawczyk and coxswain Kaitlin Sullivan

Second Varsity Eight (First Race): Madisyn Lee, Louise Daenekindt, Lillian Westerman, Aria Asselta, Elizabeth Young, Alexis Brown, Brianna Linger, Lize Morris and coxswain Gabrielle Boylan

Second Varsity Eight (Second Race): Madisyn Lee, Louise Daenekindt, Jacqueline Spiropoulos, Brianna Linger, Elizabeth Young, Aria Asselta, Lillian Westerman, Alexis Brown and coxswain Gabrielle Boylan

First Varsity Four: Coxswain Morgan McCoy, Payton Rea, Abigail Patrick, Hannah Hammon and Madelynne Jones

Third Varsity Eight/ Novice: Madelene Blackwood, Taylor Newman, Morgan Newman, Kileigh Lade, Alexandria Young, Jordan Wittmaack, Margaret Heflin, Jelena Veskov and coxswain Olivia Martinelli

*All lineups are listed bow to stern with the coxswain at the end.

Keep up with West Virginia rowing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by following @WVUrowing.