June 2, 2006
CAMDEN, N.J. - The UCF lightweight eight women's rowing team placed second in its opening heat and advanced to the grand final at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships on the Cooper River Friday.
The Golden Knights' boat, which featured coxswain Anne Marie Rossi, Robin Capers, Melissa Kroll, Laura Bacci, Laura Brad, Pamela Wall, Erin Riegel, Katherine Motes and Katie Fulton, posted a time of 6:40.83 to finish only a second behind Princeton and less than a second ahead of defending national champion Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, Radcliffe and Bucknell also took the top two places in their heat to earn an automatic berth in the grand final, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The top finishers in each of the two repachages will round out the field of six.
UCF entered the weekend ranked fifth nationally in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Varsity Lightweight Eight Poll. Last year, the squad competed in the petite final at the IRA Championships, placing seventh overall.
Lightweight Eight:
1. Princeton, 6:39.79
2. UCF, 6:40.83
3. Wisconsin, 6:40.88
4. Rhode Island, 7:13.61
5. Lehigh, 7:16.92
6. Dayton, 7:33.18