Oct. 27, 2007
DELAND, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - In its first test of the fall season, the UCF novice rowing team claimed top honors in both events it entered at the Hatter Classic on the St. John's River Saturday morning.
In the varsity eight race, the Knights' top novice boat, which featured cox Callie Waers, Leah VanLear, Andrea Carr, Melea McCreary, Leanna Maasarani, Lauryn Steelman, Charlotte DeGeorge, Stephanie Galo and Erin Campell, defeated second-place Nova Southeastern by under two seconds with a time of 18:23.8.
Earlier in the day, the Knights also claimed first place in the freshman/novice eight. Despite taking a 30-second penalty, UCF's "A" boat went 20:25.80 to beat host Stetson by nine seconds. UCF "B" was third, while the "C" entry earned fifth.
"Today's results are certainly a great starting point, but we know there are still improvements to make," said UCF novice coach Andy Derrick. "Seeing what our athletes were capable of doing helps us in selecting the line-up that will go to Tennessee next weekend."
The novice squad is slated to travel a full eight plus a coxswain when the UCF open and lightweight crews compete at the Head of the Hooch on Nov. 3-4.
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. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pics.
Varsity Eight
1. UCF, 18:23.8
2. Nova Southeastern, 18:25.4
3. Barry, 18:35.70
4. Stetson, 18:41.20
Freshman/Novice Eight
1. UCF "A", 20:25.80
2. Stetson, 20:34.90
3. UCF "B", 21:59.10
4. Nova Southeastern, 22:23.60
5. UCF "C", 22:41.40
6. Central Florida Rowing, 26:25.30