April 1, 2005
Notre Dame, Ind. –
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NOTRE DAME SET FOR SAN DIEGO CREW CLASSIC: The Irish rowing team returns to action this weekend (April 2-3) when it travels to San Diego for the prestigious San Diego Crew Classic at Mission Bay … The weekend will be highlighted by the varsity eight race — the Jessop-Whittier Cup … Notre Dame also will compete in three other races – the second varsity eight, open eight and novice eight … The Irish have not competed since their regatta in Tennesse on March 12 when they faced the Lady Vols and Michigan State … The regatta was suspended after just three races due to unsafe racing conditions on the water … Notre Dame’s March 19 regatta with Michigan was cancelled due to frozen waters.
THE SCHEDULE: Saturday, April 2 Time (PST) Event 8:50/9:00 a.m. Jessop-Whittier Cup Heat 1: California, USC, Washington State, NOTRE DAME, Oregon State, Loyola Marymount Heat 2: Tennessee, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, Purdue
10:10/10:20 a.m. Second Varsity Eight Heat 1: California, Oregon State. Texas, Central Florida, Sacramento State, San Diego “B” Heat 2: Washington State, NOTRE DAME, Stanford, Miami, San Diego State, California-Irvine
11:00/11:15 a.m. Novice Eight Heat 1: San Diego State, USC, California, St. Joseph’s Loyola Marymount, Sonoma State, Colorado Heat 2: UCLA, Oregon State, NOTRE DAME, Chapman, UCSB, Santa Clara, UCSD
1:20/1:30 p.m. Open Eight Heat 1: California-Irvine Alumni, Lions RC, Tempe Rowing, California, NOTRE DAME, St. Mary Heat 2: San Diego, Blair Island, Texas, San Diego RC, USC Alumni, River City, UCLA Heat 3: Santa Clara, California Alumni, Stanford, USC, Lake Union, UCSB, Sacramento State Alumni
3:50 p.m. Novice Eight
Sunday, April 3 Time (PST) Event 7:30 p.m. Second Varsity Eight Petite Final 8:15 a.m. Novice Eight Petite Final 9:00 a.m. Open Eight Petite Final 10:50 a.m. Novice Eight Grand Final 11:30 a.m. Jessop-Whittier Cup Petite Final 12:20 p.m. Women’s Open Eight Grand Final 12:40 p.m. Second Varsity Eight Grand Final 3:50 p.m. Jessop-Whittier Cup Grand Final
THE LINEUPS: VARSITY EIGHT: Maureen Gibbons (c), Jessica Guzik, Rachel Polinski, Amanda Polk, Mary Qinn, Allison Marsh, Sarah Palandech, Kathleen Chenoweth and Melissa Felker SECOND VARSITY EIGHT: Caitlin Rackish (c), Meredith Thornburgh, Ankica Jedry, Elizabeth Specht, Alyssa Close, Brittany Burnham, Andrea Doud, Pamela Jefson, Sarah Kate Hafner OPEN EIGHT: Shannan Lettieri (c), Shannon Mohan, Catherine Sedun, Shannon Cassel, Danielle Stealy, Kristin Hinkle, Devon Hegeman, Tricia Hale, Ariel Klingaman NOVICE EIGHT: Christina Padayhag (c), Julie Sobolewski, Lindsay McQuaid, Casey Fairbanks, Kathleen Linzmeier, Carolyn Sarb, Laura Pearson, Betsy Madison, Megan Marshall
SEVEN YEARS YOUNG: The Notre Dame program is in its seventh season of competition at the varsity level … It was granted varsity status in 1996 and then competed in its first regatta in the fall of 1998 … The Irish claimed the BIG EAST Rowing Challenge title in 2004 after three consecutive runner-up finishes … The Irish varsity eight crew also earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Championships for the second time in school history and placed 11th … Notre Dame also was 16th in the final US Rowing/CRCA poll.
HEAD COACH Martin Stone: Martin Stone has been the only coach the Notre Dame rowing program has known … He was named head coach on October 29, 1997 after five years as head coach at the United States Naval Academy … Stone has guided the Irish varsity eight to two NCAA appearances — 2002 (finished 16th) and 2004 (finished 11th) … Last season, he was selected BIG EAST Coach of the Year after leading the Irish to their first-ever team title at the 2004 BIG EAST Rowing Challenge.
THE CAPTAINS: Senior coxswain Maureen Gibbons (Langhorne, Pa.) and senior stroke Meredith Thornburgh (Indianapolis, Ind.) will serve as captains for the 2004-05 campaign … Gibbons was a member of the Irish varsity eight crew which won the BIG EAST title and earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Championships in 2004 … Thornburgh rowed in the first varsity four boat that won the gold medal in that event last season.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: Freshman Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was a member of the United States Rowing Junior National Team in the summer of 2004 that competed at the FISA Senior and Junior World Rowing Championships in Banyoles, Spain … She was a member of the junior women’s eight crew that won the B final to earn a seventh-place finish overall in the event.
NEXT UP FOR THE IRISH: Notre Dame travels to Indianapolis, Ind. on Saturday, April 9 to race Indiana and Purdue.