More From the Weekend
Lehigh's lightweights got a race in on Saturday as their heavyweights raced Drexel in Philadelphia. The lights jumped into the heavyweight V8 race, finishing 33 seconds back from their heavies and 29 seconds back from Drexel's heavies.
On Friday, Villanova raced UConn in Connecticut in a dual that included a light four race. UConn won by 34 seconds.
At the John Hunter Regatta in Oak Ridge, Georgia won the light four, although an Emory boat jumped in to break up a Georgia one-two finish. Georgia's A boat won by 16 seconds over Emory, followed by Georgia B, Auburn, Clemson, and Chattanooga. As the UGA light fours continue to do well, it's worth remembering the Lawrence four that beat both boats at the Clemson Sprints at the end of March. As we look around the country at these fours races, names begin to be repeated in the victory column and by the time Dad Vails comes around we might have a pretty good idea of who the favorites will be.
Georgia also won the light eight at John Hunter, beating Virginia Tech by over six seconds and Auburn by over 34.
Wisconsin's scheduled race in Indiana was canceled due to poor weather conditions.
Results and stories are now out on the Princeton, UCF, MIT races yesterday. UCF story here, and Princeton story here.
One of the more difficult things to do in lightweight women's rowing is to try to rank fours. So many light fours races are added on to heavy duals, all over the country, that it's difficult to track them all. On top of that, schools don't always race their top fours, but there is no way of knowing. Nonetheless, we'll try here to keep up an in-season ranking, a ranking which will get it's first changes as a result of this week's racing. With MIT beating a Princeton four, the Engineers move into second, and with Lawrence's victory over Georgia in March, they move onto the list at ninth. [See comments for more on UGA's light fours. It sounds like they'll be one of the top contenders at Dad Vails.] In another week or two, I'll start to prune the ranking of those fours that haven't raced in the spring. This weekend's Knecht Cup will be an important race for all of the non-EAWRC schools, because it will really be their only chance to race the Sprints fours. (We'll talk more about that in the Knecht preview.) The Knecht schedule isn't out yet, but I'm hoping for full fields all the way around.
8 comments:
knecht schedule is out. What's up with Pitt, Princeton, and Wisconsin A all being in the same heat with only 2 to advance? Should make for an exciting heat. Also, Villanova gives themselves the easiest heat to advance by far but I guess that's the advantage to hosting a race.
At Clemson Sprints, UGA's lightweights all rowed in the Varsity 8+ final. They were mixed into the two UGA V8's, jumped out of the 8's, and literally ran over to the other dock with there oars and got into 4's waiting on the dock for them, rowed straight up to the line, locked in, and the light 4 race started. (the two finals were 30 minutes apart)
Also note that UGA's top lightweights will be rowing in the DII,DIII, Club Varsity 8+ race at SIRA. The light 4+ will be UGA 5-8 lightweights. The top lightweights will compete for seats in the light 4 that will race at Dad Vail.
Dear anonymous- Reguarding the Knecht Cup Comment...
#1- Villanova does not run the Knecht Cup.
#2 - The schedule is not final until tomorrow.
#3- Don't you think it is a bit cowardly to be anonymous, I would expect more from a lwt women rower. Why don't you just voice your opinion to the knecht cup committee directly vs behind their back.
P.S. I'm a Villanova Lwt Rower ('98-'02)
Kelly,
Thanks for your comments - I don't think any of us realized that the schedule wasn't final until tomorrow (I didn't when I sent an email to the race director!). I do want to jump to the defense of anonymous comments, however. Because I use a pen name in writing FITD, I've always been happy to have anonymous comments. It would be hypocritical of me to do otherwise. As a result, I think there is a high tolerance of anonymity on FITD. Every so often I like to say something about this, though, and your comment has reminded me to do that soon.
Dear Kelly-
1. Maybe I'm confused but since you were a villanova lightweight woman you can answer this. Why is Jack St Clair, Villanova head coach listed as the chairman of the regatta committee? Why on the entry form does it say we are "invited to submit entries for The Knecht Cup, to benefit various charities, schools, and Villanova Rowing"? Why when I google Knecht Cup does it say "hosted by Villanova"?
2. How am I suppose to know that the schedule is not final? One would think if it is posted on the website that that is the schedule. Villanova with lane 3 in an easy heat that includes a UCONN boat that beat them by 34 seconds? Come on...
3. I'm not a lightweight woman. But for some reason, some lightweight women don't see the benefit of what this site has done for your sport. I wish I had someone to rank us our tell us what's going on. JW Burk, whatever his/her motives might be, is doing something good with this site. People are actually generally interested about lightweight women's rowing! While it may not be an army of followers it is not contained to lightweight women. Good job to JW Burk! I know there are more criticisms than gratitude from most people, but this site is good for rowing, period.
It's a shame that UGA can seemingly put out a varsity 8 and a lightweight 8 and have them both be competitive (witness John Hunter), but then absorb a few of the lights into the v8 and v4 for SIRA leaving only a light 4 behind. I guess that's their priority choice to make, though.
How can Kelly say that Villanova doesn't run the Knecht Cup? Their url is www.villanovarowing.com/knecht!
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