Jan. 21, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Following a strong fall season in which it competed at both the Hatter Classic and the Head of the Hooch, the UCF women's rowing team announced on Tuesday its 2009 spring schedule, which features a home regatta against Duke at the new UCF Intercollegiate Rowing Center on Lake Pickett in early April.
Prior to hosting its first regatta at their new facility, the Knights' first taste of competition comes Saturday, March 7, when they participate in the Metro Classic in nearby Winter Park, Fla. The event, hosted by Rollins College, will serve as UCF's season-opener for the fourth-consecutive season, where it has claimed three-straight event titles from its cross-town foes.
"The Metro Classic has been a historical duel between both Rollins and us," Head coach Becky Cramer said. "We have been competing in that regatta for as long as I can remember."
The Knights will then once again participate at the Longhorn Invitational from March 20-22. The reigning Longhorn Invitational champions, the Knights will row against host Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Duke and Wisconsin, who finished the 2008 season with a No. 13 national ranking and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, at the event.
"The event in Texas will give us the opportunity to face off with some pretty tough schools," Cramer said. "Wisconsin will be one of those teams that we will face numerous times throughout the season which will be a good test of speed, as they are normally faster being a northern school."
UCF will return home on April 4 to host Duke in its first regatta at the UCF Intercollegiate Rowing Center on Lake Pickett. Following its home event, the Black and Gold makes a return trip to the Virginia Invitational on April 11, before competing in the Lake Natoma Invitational. The inaugural event hosted by California will feature some of the nation's biggest talents, as the Knights will be facing off against the host Golden Bears, who finished the 2008 season ranked No. 4 nationally, Minnesota (No. 20), Sacramento State, 2008 national runner-up Stanford, Tennessee (No. 16), Texas, UCLA (RV) and Wisconsin (No. 13).
"This will be the first time Cal will be hosting this regatta," Cramer said. "Nine of the top teams in the country will be competing at this Invitational, so it will be challenging, but it will be a great preparation for the South/Central Regional Championship."
The tough event in California will prepare the Knights for one of its most important regattas of the season on May 16-17, the South/Central Regional Championship. The team's finish there will help determine its postseason fate.
This year's schedule will prepare us well for the South/Central Regional Championship," Cramer said. "It is definitely a challenging slate."
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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