NOTE: NEW SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY BELOW.
GOLD RIVER, Calif. – California varsity eight remains undefeated after capturing its semifinal heat Saturday at the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Championships in Gold River, Calif. as both of the Golden Bears' eights claimed berths in Sunday's Grand Finals. The varsity four earned a spot in the Petite Final.
"I'm really proud of the team today," said California head women's crew coach Al Acosta. "The semifinals at the National Championships is clearly the hardest racing we've had all year. The four in particular did an amazing job getting their nose out in front for as long as they could. In the end, they got caught, but they fought all they way down the course. We are all really exited for some great racing tomorrow. Of course, the finals will be harder than the semis, but we know that if all three boats do what they're capable of doing tomorrow, we'll have a shot at a national championship."
California and Virginia separated themselves from the field early on in the varsity eight race. Cal went up a half-length on the Cavaliers just past the midpoint of the course, and began to stretch its lead to three-quarters of a length with 750 meters to go. The Bears crossed the finish line in 06:27.4, winning the race by five seats to advance to Sunday's Grand Final. Virginia checked in at 06:29.5, while third-place Texas was nearly seven seconds behind the Bears at 06:34.4.
Cal will race Ohio State, Stanford, Virginia, Washington and Texas in tomorrow's Varsity Eight Grand Final.
Cal, Washington and Ohio State pulled away from the rest of the pack in the second varsity semifinal race. The Huskies took the early advantage and held it through the 1,500-meter split, while Ohio State moved ahead of the Bears for second at the 1,000-meter mark. The Buckeyes surged into the lead over the final 500 meters, finishing at 6:32.2. Cal finished third at 6:38.7, a length back of second-place Washington (6:34.2).
Along with the Bears, Ohio State, Brown, Washington, Yale and Washington State also advanced to Sunday's Second Varsity Eight Grand Final.
The varsity four semifinal was a tight, back-and-forth battle all the way through the last 500 meters. Heat winner Yale, who finished at 7:19.3, took an early lead, as Ohio State, Princeton and Cal trailed within two seconds behind. By the 1,000-meter mark, Princeton and Cal overtook Ohio State at second and third, respectively, while Yale pulled ahead of the nearest boat by three seconds. The skirmish continued through the 1,500-meter mark, where Princeton remained in second and the Bears were barely a half second behind. As the foursome pulled into the final stretch, Ohio State surged into second to finish with a time of 7:24. Finishing less than a half second behind were third-place Princeton (7:24. 4) and fourth-place Cal (7:24.6).
The varsity four will compete in Sunday's Petite Final, which also includes Washington State, Stanford, Michigan, Texas and Notre Dame.
Sunday's races begin at 8:00 a.m. PT. Cal's varsity four competes first in the Petite Final, scheduled for approximately 8:00 a.m. PT. The second varsity eight will compete in the Grand Final at 8:36 a.m. PT, and Cal's varsity eight cap off the national regatta in the 9:00 a.m. PT Grand Final.
Fans can follow the Bears for live race updates and a behind-the-scenes look at the NCAA Championships on their official Twitter handle @CalWCrew.
Varsity Eight Semifinal
Results: 1. California (06.27.4), 2. Virginia (06.29.5), 3. Texas (06.34.4), 4. Michigan (06:37.2), 5. Washington (06:41.7)
Cal lineup: Lindsay Meltz (cox), Kendall Chase (8), Ingvild Roenningen (7), Caileigh Filmer (6), Mia Croonquist (5), Jacinta Edmunds (4), Dorothee Beckendorff (3), Inger Kavlie (2), Rowan McKellar (1)
Second Varsity Eight Semifinal
Results: 1. Ohio State (06:32.2), 2. Washington (06:34.2), 3. California (06:38.7), 4. Texas (06:42), 5. Michigan (06:42.2), 6. Wisconsin (06:42.7)
Cal lineup: Hannah Christopher (cox), Sarah Schwartz (8), Charlotte Siering (7), Hunter Deuel (6), Maddie Wolf (5), Charlotte Passot (4), Stephanie Kraemer (3), Katie De Haas (2), Danielle Struck (1)
Varsity Four Semifinal
Results: 1. Yale (07:19.3), 2. Ohio State (07:24.0), 3. Princeton (07:24.4), 4. California (07:24.6), 5. Michigan (07:32.6), 6. Notre Dame (07:35.5),
Cal lineup: Hannah Freeman (cox), Roisin Duffy (4), Kendall Ritter (3), Hailey Drangsholt (2), Lisa Perrine (1)
