Jan. 18, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame rowing team and head coach Martin Stone have announced a six-race regular season spring schedule, culminating with the BIG EAST Championships (May 13) and a hopeful selection to the NCAA Championship (May 25-27).
“We are very excited for this schedule,” stated Stone. “It’s one that provides us with a lot of challenges along the way and should really show us where we stand as a team at each event.”
The docket gets underway with the squad heading to the Oak Ridge Invitational (March 17-18) on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn., in a multi-team regatta. The Irish then get ready for a pair of Midwest showdowns against Ohio State (March 24) at Griggs Reservoir in Columbus, Ohio, and Indiana, Purdue and Louisville (March 25) at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Ind., to close out the month.
April welcomes in a busy, three-race slate beginning with the UVA Invite (April 14-15) on Lake Monticello in Charlottesville, Va. The Irish then pack up and head west to race against Stanford and USC (April 21) at Redwood Shores in Redwood Shores, Calif., before returning to Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis to take part in the BIG EAST Invite (April 28).
The month of May ushers in the start of postseason competition, beginning with the BIG EAST Championship. The regatta, which is set to take place May 13 at Mercer County Park in Mercer, N.J., will see the Irish go for their ninth straight conference title dating back to 2004.
The Irish then await their fate for the 2012 NCAA Championship, as 16 teams will be selected to compete in the regatta. The 2012 Championship will take place at the site of the BIG EAST Championship, Mercer County Park.
With a total of 23 monogram winners from last year’s team returning, including 16 of the 23 members who finished the season in the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four boats, the Irish hope to fulfill the goal of returning to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2007.
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