Notre Dame's second varsity eight defeated No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 17 Washington during the final session of last season's Lake Natoma Invitational

#9 Irish Join Competitive National Field On Lake Natoma This Weekend

April 11, 2014

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame rowing team resumes its 2014 spring racing schedule this weekend at the Lake Natoma Invitational, hosted by the University of California, on Lake Natoma in Folsom, Calif. The event is scheduled to begin with an 8 a.m. (PT) morning session on Saturday, followed by an afternoon collection of races set for a 3:30 p.m. start. Sunday’s final session will also begin at 8 a.m.

The Irish, ranked ninth in this week’s Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA)/USRowing Coaches Poll, are one of six top 20 teams in the Lake Natoma Invitational field. Along with Notre Dame, No. 1 California, No. 4 Southern California, No. 6 Brown, No. 7 Stanford and No. 20 San Diego will also compete in the regatta.

Notre Dame first takes the water at 8:10 a.m. on Saturday in first varsity four action against Southern California and Oklahoma. The second varsity eight is scheduled to race the Trojans and Sooners at 8:40, followed by the Irish first varsity eight racing at a planned 9:10 start. The morning will conclude with heat two of second varsity four competition, which will feature Notre Dame, California, Kansas and San Diego at 9:40.

Saturday afternoon racing begins for Notre Dame at 3:50 p.m., with the first varsity four taking on host California and Kansas. The second varsity eight (4:20) and first varsity eight (4:50) will follow against the Bears and Jayhawks, before the afternoon session concludes with the B final (5:20) and A final (5:30) of the second varsity four based on the finishes from the morning heats.

The Irish close the Lake Natoma Invitational on Sunday against Stanford and San Diego. Notre Dame’s first varsity four will take the water first against the Cardinal and the Toreros at 8:30 a.m., followed by the second varsity eight (9:00) and the first varsity eight (9:35).

Notre Dame finished in a tie for third place in the team standings at last season’s Lake Natoma Invitational, earning seven competition points to finish two points behind overall champion Southern California, and one point behind runner-up California. The Irish won a pair of races during Sunday’s morning session against No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 17 Washington in the first and second varsity eight at last season’s regatta.

The 2014 Lake Natoma Invitational is just the second spring event on the Notre Dame thus far, after the Irish secured six race victories in their season debut at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational on March 15-16 on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Both Notre Dame varsity eight boats and the first varsity four were victorious in two of three races at Oak Ridge.

–ND–