May 30, 2015
GOLD RIVER, Calif. — Competitive heats were again the feature of the day during the second racing session of the 2015 NCAA Rowing Championship on Saturday. The University of Notre Dame rowing team claimed one petite final bid, adding a pair of boats into C final fields after two days of racing on Lake Natoma at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center.
No. 16 Notre Dame’s varsity four, which advanced to an A/B semifinal for the fourth straight season, kept pace early with a fast and talented field battling for three spots in Sunday’s grand final. No. 8 Yale emerged with the heat victory after clocking a time of 7:19.265. No. 3 Ohio State (7:24.029) and No. 10 Princeton (7:24.398) joined Yale as grand final qualifiers, while No. 2 California narrowly missed out on the top final in 7:24.576. The Notre Dame entry of coxswain Jill Ryan, Bailey Amenabar, Elizabeth Walter, Madelynn Conlin and Treasa O’Tighearnaigh placed sixth in the field after crossing the finish line with a time of 7:35.526.
In the opening heat of the first varsity eight C/D semifinals, the Notre Dame lineup of coxswain Reilly Kearney, Carlee Beckler, Sarah Kappers, Katie Skorcz, Hilary Shinnick, Anna Kottkamp, Ailish Sheehan, Alexis Olson and Joanna Mulvey placed third with a time of 6:43.941. No. 12 Wisconsin (6:37.559) was the semifinal heat winner, while Yale (6:40.832) earned runner-up honors to join Notre Dame as C final qualifiers.
The second Irish varsity eight also punched its ticket into the C final with a third place effort during Saturday’s morning session. Coxswain Alex Techar, Elizabeth Gilbert, Rose Doerfler, Ellen Gleadow, Catherine Wagner, Sarah Russel, Elizabeth Kelley, Gretchen Bruggeman and Madeline Loper recorded a semifinal time of 6:57.948. No. 13 Harvard won the semifinal matchup in 6:49.320, with Massachusetts narrowly edging out Notre Dame for second place at 6:57.555.
Notre Dame’s varsity four will race in Sunday’s NCAA petite final for the fourth consecutive season, where seventh through 12th place in the final standings will be determined. The Irish four has already outperformed its pre-championship 14th seed. The Notre Dame first and second varsity eight remain in the mix for 13th through 18th place in C final racing.
The third and final day of the 2015 Division I, II, and III NCAA Rowing Championships are scheduled to begin on Sunday at 8 a.m. (PT). The Notre Dame varsity four and five other boats will open the final racing session in the Division I petite final.
Notre Dame 2015 NCAA Rowing Championship
May 29-31
Lake Natoma
Sacramento State Aquatics Center
Gold River, Calif.
Saturday Session
NCAA Women’s Division I Varsity Eight C/D Semifinals, Heat 1
1. Wisconsin 6:37.559
2. Yale 6:40.832
3. Notre Dame 6:43.941 — (C) Reilly Kearney, Carlee Beckler, Sarah Kappers, Katie Skorcz, Hilary Shinnick, Anna Kottkamp, Ailish Sheehan, Alexis Olson and Joanna Mulvey
4. Northeastern 7:02.095
5. Jacksonville 7:15.554
NCAA Women’s Division I Second Varsity Eight C/D Semifinals, Heat 2
1. Harvard 6:49.320
2. Massachusetts 6:57.555
3. Notre Dame 6:57.948 — (C) Alex Techar, Elizabeth Gilbert, Rose Doerfler, Ellen Gleadow, Catherine Wagner, Sarah Russel, Elizabeth Kelley, Gretchen Bruggeman and Madeline Loper
4. Central Florida 7:12.031
5. Jacksonville 7:34.310
NCAA Women’s Division I Varsity Four A/B Semifinals, Heat 1
1. Yale 7:19.265
2. Ohio State 7:24.029
3. Princeton 7:24.398
4. California 7:24.576
5. Michigan 7:32.622
6. Notre Dame 7:35.526 — (C) Jill Ryan, Bailey Amenabar, Elizabeth Walter, Madelynn Conlin and Treasa O’Tighearnaigh
–ND–