Weekly Release #1

Upcoming Schedule
Sunday, Oct. 21 -- at Head of the Charles (Boston, Mass.)
Sunday, Oct. 28 -- at Head of the Elk (Elkhart, Ind.)

Michigan This Week
The University of Michigan women's rowing team heads to Boston to participate in the Head of the Charles regatta on the Charles River. Club events take place Saturday (Oct. 20). Michigan will race Sunday (Oct. 21) in the open races. The Wolverines will be taking two boats (one eight and one four) to the Head of the Charles. Michigan's entry in the Championship Eight race will be one of 51 participants vying for the Governor's Trophy.

Head of the Charles
The Head of the Charles regatta is the world's largest two-day rowing event. The first race took place October 16, 1965. In its 35-year history, the race has grown into a 21-event regatta which draws over 300,000 fans and over 5,400 athletes from around the world. Head of the Charles on the Internet: www.hocr.org.

The Forecast
The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 63 degrees for the races on Sunday.

New Twist to the Story
Two Michigan alumnae will also be racing at the Head of the Charles this weekend. For the first time, the Wolverines will face a former teammate in another eight at the Head of the Charles. Three-time All-American Kate Johnson (1998-2001) has been a member of the United States National Team since graduating from U-M last spring. She is slated to stroke the USRowing entry in the Championship Eight race. Michigan's Kate MacKenzie (1997-98), also a member of the national team, is scheduled to row in a double with Sarah Jones for USRowing.

The Last Time at the Head of the Charles
Michigan finished in the top 10 in both races in which it competed last year at the Head of the Charles. The varsity eight boat placed fourth out of 57 boats in the women's Championship Eight race with a time of 16:59.51. The varsity four finished with a time of 19:22.81, good for sixth place overall in the 23-boat field.

A Word About "Head" Races
"Head" races are a class of regattas generally three miles in length where the boats race against themselves and the clock. The boats start approximately 15 seconds apart, and the winners earn the honorary title of "Head of the River."

Head Coach Mark Rothstein
Mark Rothstein is in his sixth year as the head coach of the Michigan rowing team. Rothstein, the only head coach in the program's history, has led the program from its conservative beginning to a second-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Rowing Championships, including a national championship by the second varsity eight. Each of the last two years, he has guided the team to Big Ten championships and has been named the Big Ten and Midwest Region Coach of the Year. For his outstanding efforts in the 2001 season, he was selected as the National Coach of the Year.

Probable Lineups

VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Helen Dalis Stroke Tami McBratney Seat 7 Kate Maxim Seat 6 Christina Meyer Seat 5 Leah Ketcheson Seat 4 Heather Mandoli Seat 3 Liz Nelson Seat 2 Crystal Culp Bow Brett Sickler VARSITY FOUR Coxswain Corinn Cunningham Stroke Katie Reynolds Seat 3 Sophie Roberge Seat 2 Jenny Bryant Bow Julie Brescoll