June 3, 2004
ORLANDO - The UCF women's lightweight 8+ rowing team will challenge some of the best squads in the country for the national title at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. from June 4-5.
The Golden Knights crew, which features Lindsay Wood, Melissa Kroll, Robin Capers, Katherine Motes, Natalie Blades, Heather Seward, Kelli Creighton, Laura Brad and coxswain Daria Smith, was ranked No. 9 in the most recent USRowing Collegiate Women's Lightweight Eight National Poll released on May 19. Eleven of the 12 squads slated to compete in the event at this weekend's regatta are ranked in the country's top 15.
UCF takes the water in the first heat on Friday at 7 a.m. Among those also scheduled to go head-to-head with the Golden Knights are No. 1 ranked Radcliffe, No. 4 Georgetown, No. 5 Stanford, No. 8 Bucknell and unranked Rochester.
The top finisher in each of the two heats advances directly to Saturday's grand final with the other five crews relegated to the repechage on Friday afternoon. The top two from each repechage also make the grand final, while the remaining boasts compete in the petite final.
This is the first time since 1999 that the Golden Knights have competed at the IRA Championships. The Varsity 8+ took third that year.