Sept. 6, 2007
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's rowing team announced on Thursday afternoon that 71 athletes were chosen to form the Knights novice squad for the upcoming 2007-08 season.
"We would like to thank all of the young women that tried out," said UCF assistant coach Andy Derrick, who will guide the novice crew this season after serving as coach of the lightweights in 2006-07. "We had 116 athletes this year, which is one of the largest turnouts in program history. I was impressed with both the number and the interest that we generated."
The process began with an introductory meeting on Aug. 27 and also included sessions in learning how to row both in a boat and on the rowing machines. The coaches were looking for those with overall athletic ability, attitude, coachability and teamwork.
"The large numbers certainly made the decision process tougher, I think the result is that we now have a team with great athleticism and potential that puts us on track for success this season," said Derrick. "Now comes the fun part where we see who is willing to work to turn potential into results and win some races."
The UCF rowing team is made up of two squads. The novice includes those without any previous rowing experience, while the varsity is for those who have participated in high school or completed their novice year. The varsity eight crew earned an at-large bid to the 2007 NCAA Championships this past spring.
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