Rowers head to regional
Tim McLaughlin - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 5/16/08 Section: Sports
After the last pencil was dulled, the final textbook was sold back, and the last exam scantron was submitted, the Iowa rowing team packed up its bags and caught a flight to Oak Ridge, Tenn., while most of their fellow students were still cooped up in the library.
Summer vacation already?
Not so fast.
The biggest race of the year was the reason for an early end to examination week for the crew. Its flight to the Volunteer State brought the Hawkeyes to the site of what could be the final competition of the season, the Aramark South-Central Regional Championships.
With this weekend's race in the back of their minds since school began in August, the Hawkeyes spent the last two weeks - competition free - training to improve upon a sixth-place finish in this year's Big Ten championships on May 3. Although head coach Mandi Kowal feels the team improved during the off weeks, she did notice the annual wear and tear because of finals.
"We've been talking about this since school started and addressing that it was going to be hard," Kowal said. "We are going to be in a championship season. There is definitely some stress, but not how I've seen in the past. This group has probably handled it the best.
"I definitely saw some improvement in each boat for what [the rowers] were working on."
With a group of lineups that have been set in stone for most of the season, the Hawkeyes will feature boats in the varsity 8, the second varsity 8, the novice 8, the second novice 8, the varsity 4, and the open 4 races during this weekend's two-day event.
"I think they are ready," Kowal said. "We've had a really good track record in terms of being ready for this race and racing as best as the group that we have can race, racing up to their potential, so I don't expect anything different."
A different result, however, than the sixth-place finish the Hawkeyes left Ann Arbor, Mich., with is possible, one team member believes.
Summer vacation already?
Not so fast.
The biggest race of the year was the reason for an early end to examination week for the crew. Its flight to the Volunteer State brought the Hawkeyes to the site of what could be the final competition of the season, the Aramark South-Central Regional Championships.
With this weekend's race in the back of their minds since school began in August, the Hawkeyes spent the last two weeks - competition free - training to improve upon a sixth-place finish in this year's Big Ten championships on May 3. Although head coach Mandi Kowal feels the team improved during the off weeks, she did notice the annual wear and tear because of finals.
"We've been talking about this since school started and addressing that it was going to be hard," Kowal said. "We are going to be in a championship season. There is definitely some stress, but not how I've seen in the past. This group has probably handled it the best.
"I definitely saw some improvement in each boat for what [the rowers] were working on."
With a group of lineups that have been set in stone for most of the season, the Hawkeyes will feature boats in the varsity 8, the second varsity 8, the novice 8, the second novice 8, the varsity 4, and the open 4 races during this weekend's two-day event.
"I think they are ready," Kowal said. "We've had a really good track record in terms of being ready for this race and racing as best as the group that we have can race, racing up to their potential, so I don't expect anything different."
A different result, however, than the sixth-place finish the Hawkeyes left Ann Arbor, Mich., with is possible, one team member believes.
Be the first to comment on this story