No. 4 Buckeyes Travel to Virginia for ACC/Big Ten Duals – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
March 29, 2007
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The fourth-ranked Ohio State rowing team will face No. 2 Virginia and Duke March 31 in the ACC/Big Ten Duals at Lake Monticello in Charlottesville, Va. The Buckeyes take on Duke in the morning session and Virginia in the afternoon, racing the first and second varsity eights, two varsity fours and two novice eights. Michigan also will be competing in the duals.
Buckeyes Move up to Fourth in Poll
The first varsity eight boat of the Ohio State rowing team moved up to fourth in the most recent CRCA/USRowing poll released March 28. With the No. 4 ranking, the Buckeyes tie their highest mark reached in the 2006 season. The first eight boat beat defending NCAA champion and then-No. 1 Princeton to open the season last Saturday.
Ohio State Earns Boat of the Week
Ohio State’s first varsity eight was named Big Ten Boat of the Week, the conference announced Monday. The Buckeyes collect the league honor after opening the 2007 season against No. 1 Princeton and No. 5 Brown March 24.
Ohio State upset top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Princeton in the first varsity eight race, finishing with a time of 6:57.4 to the Tigers’ 6:59.9. The Buckeye crew of Claudia Wurzel, Zuza Trzcinska, Patricia Goodeman, Justine Mahler, Gabriele Albertaviciute, Jessica Shepherd, Annabelle Fago, Briony Clare and coxswain Susanne Wilson clocked in 4.6 seconds behind Brown at 6:52.8.
Last Time Out: Brown/Princeton
The then-No. 6 Buckeyes opened their 2007 season with strong races against No. 1 Princeton and No. 5 Brown March 24 on Carnegie Lake in Princeton, N.J. The day included an upset of top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Princeton in the first varsity eight race as well as a defeat of the Tigers in the second varsity eight race. Brown took first in both events. The competition featured three of the Top 5 teams in the 2006 NCAA Championship: Brown placed second, Princeton third and Ohio State fifth.
A Look at Virginia and Duke
The ACC/Big Ten Duals are the season-opening races for Virginia this spring. The Cavaliers hosted Michigan State and the Canadian National Team in scrimmages March 10 and 17, respectively.
Last time out, Duke’s first varsity eight was named ACC Crew of the Week after going 3-1 at the Longhorn Invitational March 16-17. The boat defeated Miami, Texas and Kansas State with the lone loss coming to Central Florida.
Tough Competition
Six of Ohio State’s 2007 regular-season opponents are currently ranked in the CRCA/USRowing poll, including five in the Top 10: No. 2 Virginia, No. 3 Brown, No. 6 Princeton and No. 9 Tennessee. Four fellow Big Ten teams also are ranked in Minnesota (10), Wisconsin (15), Michigan State (17) and Michigan (19).
Spanning the Globe
The 2007 Ohio State rowing roster consists of student-athletes from around the world. The 33 members of the team are from seven countries, including the United States. Germany has the largest representation from outside the U.S. with six rowers. There also are Buckeyes from Australia, Italy (2), Lithuania, Poland and South Africa.
The U.S. Buckeyes represent three different states. There are 19 Ohio natives, with athletes also from Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Next up for the Buckeyes
Ohio State will host its lone home regatta of the 2007 season April 7. The Buckeyes face No. 9 Tennessee and No. 19 Michigan at Griggs Reservoir on the Scioto River. Races begin at noon.
