April 21, 2007
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF women's rowing team placed four boats into Sunday's grand finals after impressive efforts in day one of the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championships at Melton Lake on Saturday.
UCF's No. 9-ranked varsity eight boat finished with the second fastest time in the semifinals of its event, going 6:46.8 to place first in its heat. The Knights face Cincinnati, Ohio State, Cal State Sacramento, Purdue, Kansas State, Dayton, Mercyhurst and Tennessee's club team in Sunday's final.
Also advancing were UCF's varsity four, which took first in both its opening heat and its semifinal, and the Knights' novice eight. The second varsity eight went straight to finals.
The second novice eight boat, which featured coxswain Lauren Patton, Margo Beard, Samantha Miller, Kathryn Harness, Monica Roppelt, Ciara Palumbo, Ashley Barody, Morgan Bell and Celeste Brown, earned top honors in Saturday's event final. The Knights finished the race at 7:36.2, a full 10 seconds ahead of second-place Purdue.
Competition at the SIRA Championship continues at Melton Lake on Sunday morning. For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports.
Saturday's Event Final
Second Novice Eight
1. UCF, 7:36.2
2. Purdue, 7:46.3
3. Alabama, 7:54.3
4. Tennessee, 8:15.1
5. Louisville, 8:17.0
6. Georgia, 8:30.6