Wolverines Receive NCAA Bid for Eighth Straight Year
5/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan women's rowing team has received a bid to compete in the 2005 NCAA Championships. The Wolverines will be appearing in their eighth straight national championship in the program's nine-year varsity history. This year's events will take place Friday through Sunday, May 27-29, on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif.
The NCAA Championships are divided up among Division I, Division II and Division III institutions. In Division I, 12 teams are awarded team bids, which include a first varsity eight, a second varsity eight and a first varsity four. The three boats from each school can win individual national titles while attempting to earn points toward the team title. Additionally, four at-large first varsity eight boats are invited to the regatta. These four crews only compete in the first varsity eight races and do not receive points for the team championship.
This year's collection of teams includes No. 8 Brown, No. 2 California, No. 5 Harvard, No. 7 Michigan, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 1 Princeton, No. 13 Southern California, No. 9 Virginia, No. 12 Washington, No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 6 Yale. The four schools that will only send first varsity eight boats are No. 10 Stanford, No. 16 Syracuse, No. 11 Tennessee and No. 18 UCLA.
Michigan is fighting for its first team national title. In 2001, the U-M second varsity eight won an individual boat national title when the Maize and Blue posted a program-best second-place overall finish. In 2003, the first varsity eight posted a boat-best runner-up finish en route to a fourth-place team standing. In 2004, the Wolverines earned third place as a team. Michigan's other national finishes include fifth place on three occasions (1998, 1999, 2000) and eighth place once (2002).
Most recently this season, Michigan was fourth at the Big Ten Conference Championships (April 30) and second at the Central Region Championships (May 14-15).
For the second straight year, the Big Ten will be sending four teams to the NCAA Championships. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin allow the Big Ten to match the Ivy League ((Brown, Harvard, Princeton, Yale) for having the most teams represented from one conference.
Brown is the defending national champion from 2004 and has claimed the team national title in four of the past six seasons. U-M competed against the Bears previously this season in a dual meet on April 9. The first varsity eight clipped Brown while the second varsity eight was defeated. The teams did not race varsity fours.
The NCAA Championships will be held May 27-29 at CSUS Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif., with Cal State-Sacramento serving as host. For ticket information, call the CSUS ticket office at (916) 278-2222.
Championships Sites: NCAA | CSUS
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
