No. 10 Rowing Continues Postseason Action in Oak Ridge, Tenn. – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
May 13, 2003
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ABOUT THE REGIONAL REGATTA
The No. 10 Ohio State rowing team, fresh off its third-place finish at the 2003 Big Ten Championships, will continue postseason play when the squad travels to Oak Ridge, Tenn., Saturday and Sunday for the 2003 Central/South Regional Championships.
The regional regatta will consist of boat championships for first and second varsity 8’s, first and second varsity 4’s, as well as first and second novice 8’s.
The weekend marks the first time this season the Buckeyes will encounter a regatta that includes three rounds of racing. The event begins with preliminary heats Saturday morning followed by repechages and semifinals Saturday afternoon. The finals session will take place Sunday. Racing begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with second novice 8 heats.
COACH TEITELBAUM ON THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The main priority (of the weekend) is making sure we are selected to go to the NCAA championships,” Andy Teitelbaum, Ohio State head coach, said. “A regional championship is nice, but qualifying for NCAA’s is the priority.”
If the Buckeyes wish to have a strong showing Saturday and Sunday, Teitelbaum said many improvements must be made upon the team’s performance at the Big Ten championships.
“We need a much better showing from the second varsity 8 and the (first) varsity 4,” Teitelbaum said. “This is important from both a regional and national perspective.”
MAKING AN IMPRESSION
This weekend serves as another chance for the Buckeyes to make a statement to the NCAA selection committee and earn their fourth-consecutive team berth to the the NCAA championships. To do so, the team will need to put up a strong performance on the water in the first varsity 8, second varsity 8 and first varsity 4 competitions, the three boats that race during the NCAA regatta.
SELECTION TUESDAY
After the central regional championships Saturday and Sunday, the Buckeyes will play the waiting game to see if they will be invited to the NCAA championships May 30-June 1 in Indianapolis. The selection committee will announce the 2003 pool Tuesday May 20.
Twelve teams qualify for the championships, while four additional at-large bids are awarded to first varsity 8 boats.
HIGH SEEDED BUCKEYES
In its mission for a regional championship, Ohio State will reap the benefits of having earned high seeds in the regatta’s six boat championships.
After finishing second to Michigan at the 2003 Big Ten Championships, the Buckeye first varsity 8 was labeled the No. 2 seed (behind the Wolverines) out of 21 crews. The OSU second varsity 8 is seeded fourth out of 17 boats behind Michigan State, Iowa and Michigan.
The team’s first 4 will serve as the fourth seed out of 17 boats behind Michigan, Iowa and Michigan State, while the Ohio State second 4 is seeded third out of eight crews behind Notre Dame and Iowa.
The Buckeye novices also sport quality rankings. The first novice 8 will be seeded sixth out of 17 crews while the second novice 8 is seeded second out of five competing boats.
A STRONG FIELD
Standing in the way of the Buckeyes’ first regional team championship is a strong delegation of rowing programs from around the central and south regions.
Seven teams competing at the championships boast Top 20 rankings, according to the USRowing.org/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eights Poll.
Michigan, the 2002 Central/South Regional Champions, sport the top ranking at No. 7. The Buckeyes at No. 10 are followed by Michigan State at No. 11, Virginia at No. 12, Iowa at No. 15, Texas at No. 17 and Tennessee at No. 19.
Three schools, Minnesota, Notre Dame and Duke, also received votes in the latest poll.
“Two things are going to add to the competitiveness of this year’s event: a very strong Iowa team and the addition of Virginia to the regatta,” Teiltelbaum said. “Their presence will muddle the process of advancing to the finals more than the past.”
OSU THIS SEASON VS. REGIONAL COMPETITION
When the Buckeye rowing squad takes to the water Saturday, they will have experience racing against much of the regional field already in 2003.
Ohio State raced against No. 12 Virginia as well as Duke April 12 at the 2003 ACC/Big Ten Double Duals. The Buckeyes posted an undefeated day in varsity races vs. both ACC foes, winning four dual races against each school.
OSU then raced against Michigan, Michigan State and Indiana April 12 at the Big Ten invitational. At the 2003 invite, the team racked up a winning record vs. all three conference rivals despite dropping first varsity 8 races to the Wolverines and Spartans.
Finally, the Buckeyes battled all six Big Ten schools at the conference championships May 3, placing second in the first varsity 8 competition and third overall as a team behind Michigan and Michigan State.
ON THE DEFENSE
In finishing second overall at the 2002 Central/South Regional Championships, the Buckeyes scored regional crowns in four events, including the first varsity 8 gold medal. Ohio State also took first-place regional finishes in the second varsity 4 and first and second novice 8.
2003 CENTRAL/SOUTH REGIONAL
Race Progressions/Scoring
First Novice 8 Progression (21 entries):
Top 3 in finishers in each of four heatsadvance to semifinals. Remaining go to repechage heats. Top 3 finishers in each semifinal advance to the Grand Final, remaining go to the Petite Final. Top 3 finishers in each repechage go to ‘C’ Final for places 13th-18th, remaining boats go to the ‘D’ Final for 19th-21st.
Second Varsity 8 Progression (14 entries):
Top finisher in each heat advances to the Grand Final, while rest go to semifinal heats. Top 2 boats in each semifinal advance to the Grand Final. Third to fifth go to Petite Final, while sixth place goes to the ‘C’ Final.
First Varsity 4 and First Novice 8 Progression (17 entries each):
Top 4 finishers in each of three heats advance to semifinals, while remaining boats go to the ‘C’ Final. Top 3 boats from each semifinal advance to the Grand Final, while rest go to the petite final.
Second Varsity 4 Progression (8 entries):
Top finisher in each of two heats advances to Grand Final, while rest go to semifinal. Top 4 in the semifinal advance to the Grand Final, while fifth and sixth go to the Petite Final.
Second Novice 8 Progression (5 entries):
All five boats race once in the grand final.
Scoring Table Boat 1V8 2V8 1V4 2V4 1N8 2N8 1st 36 24 12 6 6 5 2nd 33 22 11 5 5 4 3rd 30 20 10 4 4 3 4th 27 18 9 3 3 2 5th 24 16 8 2 2 1 6th 21 14 7 1 1 – 7th 18 12 6 – – – 8th 15 10 5 – – –
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/SEEDINGS:
2003 Central/South Regional Championships – May 17-18 – Oak Ridge, Tenn.
May 17
Morning Heats
9:00 – First Novice 8, Heat #1
9:15 – First Novice 8, Heat #2
9:30 – First Novice 8, Heat #3
9:45 – Second Varsity 4, Heat #1
10:00 – Second Varsity 4, Heat #2
10:15 – First Varsity 4, Heat #1
10:30 – First Varsity 4, Heat #2
10:45 – First Varsity 4, Heat #3
11:00 – Second Varsity 8, Heat #1
11:15 – Second Varsity 8, Heat #2
11:30 – First Varsity 8, Heat #1
11:45 – First Varsity 8, Heat #2
12:00 – First Varsity 8, Heat #3
12:15 – First Varsity 8, Heat #4
Afternoon Semifinals
2:00 – First Novice 8, Repechage #1
2:15 – First Novice 8, Repechage #2
2:30 – Second Varsity 4, Repechage
2:45 – First Varsity 4, Semifinal #1
3:00 – First Varsity 4, Semifinal #2
3:15 – Second Varsity 8, Repechage #1
3:30 – Second Varsity 8, Repechage #2
3:45 – First Varsity 8, Semifinal C/D #1
4:00 – FirstVarsity 8, Semifinal C/D #2
4:15 – First Varsity 8, Semifinal A/B #1
4:30 – First Varsity 8, Semifinal A/B #2
May 18
Finals
9:00 – First Varsity 8, D Level Final
9:15 – First Novice 8, C Level Final
9:30 – First Varsity 4, C Level Final
9:45 – Second Varsity 8, C Level Final
10:00 – First Varsity 8, C Level Final
10:15 – Second Novice 8, Grand Final
10:30 – First Novice 8, Petite Final
10:45 – First Novice 8, Grand Final
11:00 – Second Varsity 4, Petite Final
11:15 – Second Varsity 4, Grand Final
11:30 – First Varsity 4, Petite Final
11:45 – First Varsity 4, Grand Final
12:00 – Second Varsity 8, Petite Final
12:15 – Second Varsity 8, Grand Final
12:30 – First Varsity 8, Petite Final
12:45 – First Varsity 8, Grand Final
2002 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Buckeyes finished the 2002 Central/South Regional Championships in second place with 88 points, behind Michigan, who allotted 106.
While the Buckeyes finished second overall, they did claim victory in the regatta’s most important competition, the first varsity 8. The Ohio State first 8 took home gold, finishing at six minutes, 33.4 seconds, beating out Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Texas and Duke.
The second varsity 8, which was undefeated against Big Ten competition going into regionals, won both its preliminary and semifinal heats but finished fourth in the Grand Final behind Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
The first varsity 4 finished third in the Grand Finals with a time of 7:31.3, 4.4 seconds behind Michigan, the race winner.
Ohio State also won Grand Finals in two other competitions. The second varsity 4 defeated its competition, finishing a lengthy 13.6 seconds ahead of second-place Michigan and 15 seconds ahead of Clemson. The Ohio State first novice 8 began the day with a victory in its Grand Final, being the only team to break the seven-minute mark in its race, finishing at 6:59.9.
LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio State rowing team finished second in the first varsity 8 Grand Final, but finished third as a team at the 2003 Big Ten Championships May 3 at Griggs Reservoir on the Scioto River. The Buckeyes were unable to win their second-consecutive conference title, as they played host to the championships for the first time in the regatta’s four-year history.
Ohio State finished with 107 points, behind Michigan and Michigan State, each earning 123 points. The Wolverines were awarded the conference title through the conference tiebreaker, which gives the championship to the team finishing higher in the first varsity 8 competition.
While the Buckeyes entered the first varsity Grand Final unable to win the Big Ten title, the team did have the opportunity to act as a spoiler for Michigan State, who entered the race in first-place overall, needing to finish within one place of Michigan to take the school’s first conference crown. The Wolverines won the race, but Ohio State nabbed second place from the Spartans, finishing .7 seconds ahead of Michigan State, knocking the team into second overall.
After a promising morning race for the second varsity 8 where the boat won its heat, the crew struggled in the event’s Grand Final, taking fourth overall.
The first varsity 4 also took fourth in its respective Grand Final. Michigan won the title, ahead of Iowa and Michigan State.
The Ohio State second varsity 4’s winning streak came to an end Saturday after two years of undefeated rowing. After the boat’s win in the morning heat, the team had tallied 27 consecutive victories since its last loss at the 2001 Big Ten Championships. The team was 17-0 vs. Big Ten competition over the course of the streak. The Buckeye second 4 finished third at the 2003 championships.
FOUR BUCKEYES CLAIM ALL-BIG TEN HONORS<
Four Buckeye rowers were named to All-Big Ten teams, the conference announced May 3. Seniors Maxi Meissner and Karla Fiserova were named 2003 First Team All-Big Ten, while senior Heather Feldmann and junior Natalie Legge were named to the second team.
The selection is the third conference honor for Meissner, who was named a first team all-conference honoree in 2001 and to the second team in 2002. Meissner also was a first team all-central region member in 2001, as well as a first team All-American. In 2002, she was a second team all-central region honoree.
Fiserova enjoys first team All-Big Ten honors for the second-consecutive season. She garnered Big Ten, central region and All-America honors in 2002, as she was placed on the all-conference and all-region first teams and the second team All-America.
The honor is the first all-conference team appearance for Feldmann, who is rowing in the first varsity 8 for the second season.
Legge also was named to an all-conference team for the first time. She was selected as a member of the second team All-Big Ten, for her contributions in the first 8.
A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
Six of the eight rowers from the 2002 Ohio State first varsity 8, including the entire stern, have returned to create a strong first boat, comparable to the Buckeyes’ top boat from last season, which took fourth place at the NCAA championships.
The boat is led by 2003 First Team All-Big Ten honorees Maxi Meissner and Karla Fiserova.
Junior Tatiana Grigorieva and sophomore Franziska Schubert also have helped bring power to the boat. Grigorieva and Schubert both were all-central region and All-Big Ten honorees in 2002.
In the second varsity 8, senior Meghan McCartney and senior Heather Arndts are among the returning rowers.
Junior Ashley Orr, after spending the past two seasons as coxswain of the second varsity 8, has been a solid leader so far for the Ohio State first 8.
Sophomores Laureen Ellison and Jamie Berning also have returned to the squad and are further increasing their contributions, serving as coxswains of the second varsity 8 and first varsity 4, respectively.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
In the tradition of Ohio State rowing, the team once again sports a delegation from around the globe.
The team now includes six members from Germany (Diana Albrecht, Ninnet Kossowsky, Maxi Meissner, Jana Schiller, Franziska Schubert, and Susi Wesenberg) and four other members from countries other than the U.S.
Overall, the team has representatives from five countries (United States, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia and Australia) and seven states (Ohio, Va., Ky., Md., Calif., N.J. and N.Y.).
ABOUT COACH TEITELBAUM
Now in his eighth year at the head of the Ohio State rowing program, Andy Teitelbaum has guided the Buckeyes to national prominence.
For an outstanding 2002 season in which Teitelbaum guided the Buckeyes to their first Big Ten championship, he was named by his peers as the Big Ten and central region Coach of the Year.
With a record of 53-5 in the 2002 season and a fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships, Teitelbaum’s career record at OSU now stands at 203-105.
NEXT UP
If the OSU rowing team is selected to compete at the 2003 NCAA Championships, they will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., May 30-June1, for the team’s fourth-consecutive appearence at the national regatta. The team finished fifth overall in 2002.
