Victories bring rowers confidence
Todd Nieto
Sports Writer
The women's crew team defeated both Michigan State and the University of Dayton this weekend.
On Saturday, the team raced at Michigan State in the best of three races. Because of ice on Michigan State's 2,000-meter course, the teams competed on a 1,200-meter course.
In the past, Michigan State has been a serious contender in women's crew, qualifying for the NCAA championships the past three years. The victory for the Irish is a good omen, as they defeated the Spartans in the first varsity eights, first novice and second novice eights.
On Sunday, the team soundly defeated the Dayton Flyers despite a 15 mile per hour headwind and choppy waters.
"The coxswain had more difficulty steering in the wind," said coxswain Erin Kiernicki. "But the team pushed through the difficult conditions and prevailed."
The Irish varsity eight posted a time of 7:18.70, while the second varsity eight crossed the finish at 7:19.70.
"These wins are a huge confidence booster," said Kiernicki. "Beating Michigan State is huge because it sends a message to other schools."
With such impressive victories this past weekend, it appears as if the Irish women's crew team is ready for the San Diego Crew Classic. The first and second varsity teams fly to San Diego later in the week, while the rest of the team heads to Des Moines, Iowa to compete against Drake and the Wisconsin Lightweights.
"In San Diego we are going to look for our strong and weak points and determine how we fare against other teams," Kiernicki said.
The San Diego Crew Classic is an especially important event for the team, giving the Irish the opportunity to race against the teams that will most likely contend in the NCAA Championships.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, April 4, 2001
