May 13, 2011
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF rowing team will compete for the Conference USA Rowing Championship title Saturday on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn., in the league's first-ever stand-alone regatta as last year's was held in conjunction with the Aramark South/Central Region Sprints.
"We've had a lot of challenges this past week, but the team has worked hard and stayed focused," head coach Becky Cramer said. "They are taking changes in stride and have come together with the unified goal of speed and a Conference USA Championship."
Preliminary heats, beginning with varsity eight races, are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Saturday on the 2,000-meter course.
The Knights' varsity eight will face-off against Tulsa, No. 15 Texas and SMU at 9 a.m., before the second varsity eight and varsity four squads take to the water at 9:20 a.m. and 9:40 a.m., respectively, against the same teams. All three of UCF's varsity teams will be in heat one.
The Black and Gold's novice eight will take on Texas and Oklahoma at 10 a.m., while the second varsity four team will round out the preliminary round vs. the Longhorns and the Sooners at 10:20 a.m.
C-USA will determine the team champion based on placement in varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four races. Team and individual awards will be presented at a ceremony following the regatta.
Conference USA has three full-time members that sponsor women's rowing: SMU, Tulsa and UCF. Six additional programs serve as affiliate members in the league: Alabama, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. However, the Alabama rowing team will not compete at the Conference USA Championships as a result of the devastating tornado that hit Tuscaloosa. Following the storms, the Crimson Tide also did not compete at a dual meet with Clemson and effectively ended its 2010-11 season with the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships held April 16-17 in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Texas enters the weekend as the No. 15 ranked team, nationally. The Longhorns rank third in the South Region, with the second varsity eight ranked second. Tennessee, Oklahoma and UCF follow close behind in the team regional rankings at fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
The Knights placed second behind Tennessee in the inaugural C-USA Championship last season.
Following its participation in the C-USA Rowing Championship, the Black and Gold will complete in the Oak Ridge Invitational Sunday.
C-USA Championship Lineups
Varsity 8+
C Brittany Skidmore
8 Margaret Lahmeyer
7 Allisha Campaigne
6 Chelsey Lauzon
5 Katherine Krueger
4 Alyssa Egan
3 Liz Robinson
2 Kara Johannesen
1 Calena Illan
Second Varsity 8+
C Claire Frenkel
8 Chelsey Green
7 Nina Morgan
6 Michelle Haves
5 Victoria Carroll
4 Leah VanLear
3 Chelsea Ernest
2 Sylvia Morgese
1 Nicole Lacek
Varsity 4+
C Stephanie Galo
4 Samantha Sarff
3 Monica Larkin
2 Amanda Schimian
1 Shelby Flynn
Second Varsity 4+
C Lea Kram
4 Blaine Lewis
3 Christina Bechtold
2 Kelly Thiele
1 Karly Brown
Novice 8+
C Liz Anderson
8 Meredyth Ring
7 Liz McKinney
6 Liz Janiak
5 Kelsea Porter
4 Marissa Hiller
3 Aubrey Kuperman
2 Anita Schmidt
1 Meghan Martin