Rowing Advances to Grand Finals in All Three NCAA Championship Events – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
May 27, 2006
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Ohio State rowing team continued its stellar racing in the second day of the 2006 NCAA Championships Saturday, making program history by advancing to the Grand Finals in all three events for the first time in seven national championship appearances. The first varsity four and eight boats finished first and third in their respective races to move to the top races of the competition. It is the fourth Grand Final appearance in program history for each of the Ohio State boats. Along with OSU, Brown, California and Washington State are racing in all three Grand Finals.
The NCAA championships are being hosted by the Princeton National Rowing Association and Rutgers University and held at a 2,000-meter course on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. All three NCAA divisions (I, II, and III) are competing for their respective national titles at the regatta.
Facing tough competition in the second semifinal of the first varsity eight, the seventh-ranked Buckeyes battled to finish third and move to the Grand Finals. Charlott Goldstein (Fr., Berlin, Germany), Jana Schiller (Sr., Marquardt, Germany), Susanne Herbrand (Fr., Magdeburg, Germany), Ninett Kossowsky (Sr., Leipzig, Germany), Gabriele Albertaviciute (So., Vilnius, Lithuania), Beth Tompkins (Sr., Westerville, Ohio), Annabelle Fago (Jr., Giessen, Germany), Jessica Shepherd (Jr., Richmond, Ohio) and coxswain Colleen Saville (Fr., Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) clocked in at 6:32.575, just over 0.4 seconds behind Big Ten foe Michigan State at 6:32.134. California took first in the race with a time of 6:30.472. Washington (6:33.997), Notre Dame (6:36.931) and UCLA (6:43.100) rounded out the semifinal. The Buckeyes, along with Brown, California, Michigan State, Princeton and Washington, will compete in the final race of the NCAA championships with the first varsity eight Grand Final starting at noon. The race carries the highest point values in the team competition, with boats earning from 24 to 36 points based on their finish.
The varsity four of Patricia Goodeman (Jr., Waterville, Ohio), Mary Sheehan (Jr., Johnstown, Pa.), Peta-Leigh Dakyns (Fr., Johannesburg, South Africa), Sarah Mominee (Sr., Martin, Ohio) and coxswain Susie Wilson (Jr., Fredericktown, Ohio) was in the opening Division I race of the day, rowing in the first repechage of their event. The Buckeyes pulled away from the field around the 500-meter mark and had a five-seat lead for the majority of the race. The boat held off a final drive by Michigan State to finish first in the race and advance to the Grand Final with a time of 7:21.124. The Spartans timed in just over 0.3 seconds later at 7:21.435 to also move to the Grand Final. Princeton (7:26.532), Notre Dame (7:34.003) and Tennessee (7:42.034) rounded out the repechage and will compete in the Petite Final.
In the second repechage of the varsity four, Washington State and Washington finished first and second, respectively, to advance to the Grand Final as well. The varsity four Grand Final will be at 10:45 a.m. Sunday with the field consisting of Ohio State, Brown, California, Michigan State, Washington and Washington State. The boats can earn anywhere from seven to 12 points for their team standings, depending on their finish.
Ohio State’s second varsity eight did not race Saturday after winning its heat Friday to qualify for the Grand Final Sunday. The boat of Lavinia Tinelli (Fr., Rome, Italy), Andrea Dymalski (So., Bremen, Germany), Simone Haubner (So., Leipzig, Germany), Justine Mahler (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio), Katie Poling (Sr., Elyria, Ohio), Zuzanna Trzcinska (Fr., Ilawa, Poland), Briony Clare (Jr., Sydney, Australia), Olga Grigorieva (Jr., Moscow, Russia) and coxswain Sarah Obee (Sr., Toledo, Ohio) will face Brown, California, Princeton, Washington State and Wisconsin. The Grand Final will take place at 11:15 a.m. with 14 to 24 team points at stake for the team standings.
The Buckeyes are looking to make more school history Sunday by improving on their program-best fourth-place finish set in 2005 and 2001. The highest Ohio State has placed in any Grand Final is fourth by all three boats: first varsity eight in 2002, second varsity eight in 2005 and first varsity four in 2003 and 2001.
2006 NCAA Rowing Championships: Day 2
Ohio State Results
First Varsity Eight: Semifinal 2
1. California 6:30.472
2. Michigan State 6:32.134
3. Ohio State* 6:32.575
4. Washington 6:33.997
5. Notre Dame 6:36.931
6. UCLA 6:43.100
*advance to Grand Final Sunday
First Varsity Four: Repechage 1
1. Ohio State* 7:21.124
2. Michigan State 7:21.435
3. Princeton 7:26.532
4. Notre Dame 7:34.003
5. Tennessee 7:42.034
*advance to Grand Final Sunday
