Rowing: Irish travel to Head of Ohio in Pittsburgh
By: CHRISTINE ARMSTRONG
Sports Writer
The Irish will travel to Pittsburgh for the Head of Ohio this weekend, where they expect to face their fiercest opposition to date. The team, which has performed well in its first two season races, expects to continue its success.
In its first competition, the Milwaukee River Challenge, the team took home first- and fourth-place finishes. Last weekend, in the races against Kansas, held on the St. Joseph River, the Notre Dame varsity boats A, B, C all placed before the first Kansas boat. The A boat of Cassie Markstahler (cox), Natalie Ladine, Ashlee Warren, Elizabeth Specht, Alice Bartek, Becky Luckett, Erica Drennen, Kerri Murphy and Kathleen Welsh secured first place.
"Finishing 1-2-3 [in the varsity eight races] on our home course was a great accomplishment for the team," Welsh said. "We have been spending much of our practice time rowing smaller boats [mostly pairs] so getting this extra race against Kansas in team boats should help us to increase the level of intensity as well as our ability to race together, as we look towards the Head of the Ohio in Pittsburgh.
"These past two races have given us a better idea of where we need to focus and allow us to go into these upcoming races with more confidence."
All Sports Stories for Friday, October 4, 2002
