Weekly Release #6

5/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Rowing

Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., May 12-13 -- at Central Region Championships (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
Thu-Sat, May 24-26 -- at NCAA Championships (Gainesville, Ga.)

Michigan This Week
The second-ranked University of Michigan women's rowing team heads south for the Central Region Championships on Saturday and Sunday (May 12-13) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Races are scheduled to start at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday and take place on Melton Hill Lake, just outside Oak Ridge. The top three boats for the Wolverines are undefeated heading into the weekend, as they have each won all seven races in which they have participated this season. The string of victories includes first-place finishes for each boat at the 2001 Big Ten Championships, which helped the team win its second consecutive conference title.

The Forecast
The forecast calls for a partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-70s for the races this weekend.

On the List Again
For the second consecutive season, senior co-captain Kate Johnson (Portland, Ore./Jesuit HS) and head coach Mark Rothstein have been honored as the Big Ten Conference women's rowing Athlete and Coach of the Year, respectively. Both awards were selected by a vote of the league head coaches.

Adapting to Change
Senior Kate Johnson will miss the second race of her career this weekend in Oak Ridge. After suffering an injury less than 24 hours before the Big Ten Championships (April 28), Johnson was forced to miss her first collegiate race for any reason. In her place, junior Tamara McBratney (Brockville, Ontario/Brockville Collegiate) will stroke the first varsity eight this weekend. Senior co-captain Alison Hickey (Scituate, Mass./Noble and Greenough HS) filled in for the injured Johnson at the conference regatta.

Academic Honors
In addition to being the No. 2 team in the nation, the Wolverines are hard at work in the classroom. Overall, 41 of 60 Michigan rowers received the U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award, including 17 of the 23 athletes in the three NCAA boats (first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four).

In the Polls
Michigan remained in the No. 2 spot, the highest ranking in the program's history, and garnered one first-place vote in the latest USRowing/CRCA poll (May 2). Brown, the defending national champion, continues to hold the No. 1 spot and received 24 of 25 first-place votes this week.

Looking Ahead
The NCAA will offer bids to the national championships on Monday (May 14). With a strong weekend in Oak Ridge, the Wolverines should receive the automatic bid from the Central Region for the second consecutive season and earn their fourth trip to the NCAA Championships in the five-year history of the program. The championships are May 24-26 in Gainesville, Ga.

Probable Lineups

VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Helen Dalis Stroke Tamara McBratney Seat 7 Laurel Donnell-Fink Seat 6 Alison Hickey Seat 5 Jenny Bryant Seat 4 Christine Meyer Seat 3 Bernadette Marten Seat 2 Sera Coppolino Bow Kate Maxim 2nd VARSITY EIGHT Coxswain Corrin Cunningham Stroke Melanie Duncan Seat 7 Petra Juzwishin Seat 6 Liz Nelson Seat 5 Sophie Roberge Seat 4 Heather Mandoli Seat 3 Julie Brescoll Seat 2 Kristine Johns Bow Katie Reynolds VARSITY FOUR Coxswain Carissa Bragg Stroke Liz Glenn Seat 3 Erin Kopicki Seat 2 Caroline Gregory Bow Christina Ceo 2nd VARSITY FOUR Coxswain Fazeela Siddiqui Stroke Emy Bury Seat 3 Elizabeth Kreger Seat 2 Amy Anstandig Bow Angela Bierhuizen