Wolverines Earn Fourth Straight Team Bid to NCAA Championships
5/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
May 15, 2012
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's rowing team (No. 5 CRCA/USRowing Coaches) earned its fourth straight team bid to the NCAA Championships on Tuesday (May 15). The Wolverines will be making their 13th appearance at the national championship regatta in the program's 16-year history.
"We're excited to get out there and compete against the best in the country" said head coach Mark Rothstein. "You're racing against some new teams you haven't seen this year and you know everyone is going to be fast. Our team is excited about the challenge ahead."
The Wolverines will enter the championship as the number two seed in the first and second varsity eight event. Michigan is seeded 11th in the varsity four race.
Sixteen teams earn the right to battle for the national title at the NCAA Championships, which include first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four races. The three boats from each school will compete for individual national titles while earning points towards the overall team championship.
Joining Michigan will be Virginia, Washington, Harvard, Yale, Brown, USC, Cornell, UCLA, Michigan State, Cal, Ohio State, Princeton, Wisconsin, Stanford and Notre Dame
The Wolverines enter the event fresh off their conference-best fifth Big Ten championship on Sunday (May 13) in Indianapolis, Ind., and in search of the program's first-ever national crown. Michigan's best finish came in 2001, when its second varsity eight captured an individual boat title en route to a second-place team finish. In 2003, the first varsity eight placed second and Michigan rowed to a fourth-place team finish. U-M finished in fifth place in 1998, 1999 and 2000, eighth place in 2002 and 2005, ninth place in 2009, 11th place in 2010 and 13th place in 2011.
The 2012 NCAA rowing championships will take place from May 25-27 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. [ Meet Information/Tickets ]
Contact: Rob Tillotson (734) 763-4423
