May 15, 2011
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (UCFAthletics.com) - With 31 team points, the UCF rowing team placed fourth at the Conference USA Rowing Championship Saturday on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn., in the league's first-ever stand-alone regatta. For her performance at the event, junior Chelsey Lauzon was named to the All-C-USA Rowing Team for the second-straight season.
Texas swept the three scoring races of the championship, which were the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four events on the 2,000-meter course. The Longhorns also won gold in the novice eight and silver in the second varsity four.
Defending champion Tennessee earned runner-up honors after placing second in all three scoring events, while taking gold in the second varsity four. Oklahoma finished third overall, with a bronze medal in the second varsity eight race.
In the preliminary heats, the Knights' varsity eight and second varsity eight squads placed second behind eventual champion Texas with times of 6:53.49 and 6:58.08, respectively, while the varsity four team clocked in a 7:50.59 to finish third behind the Longhorns and Tulsa. The novice eight team crossed in third with a time of 7:12.04 and the second varsity eight crossed in 8:10.55 to place third.
The second varsity four opened the finals with a victory over Tulsa `B' in the petite final with a time of 7:44.09, while the novice eight crew finished third in the grand final after posting a time of 6:52.17.
In the points races, the Knights' varsity four earned three points for the team with a time of 7:35.30 in the grand final, and the second varsity eight tallied 10 points toward the team score by crossing the finish line in 6:53.01 in its grand final for a fourth-place showing.
In the final race of the day, UCF's varsity eight finished with a time of 6:40.07 in front of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Kansas State for a third-place showing and 18 points for the Black and Gold.
Team Standings
1. Texas - 48
2. Tennessee - 42
3. Oklahoma - 32
4. UCF - 31
5. Tulsa - 26
6. Kansas State - 16
7. Kansas - 14
8. SMU - 7
2011 C-USA Coach of the Year
Carie Graves, Texas
2010 C-USA Rowing Athlete of the Year
Jennifer VanderMaarel, Texas
2011 C-USA Newcomer of the Year
Sydney Boyes, Texas
2011 Rowing All-Conference USA Team
Jennifer VanderMaarel, Sr., Texas
Tajana Lovric, Sr., Texas
Sally Tunell, Sr., Texas
Jelena Zunic, Sr., Texas
Hilary Epes, Jr., Tennessee
Ashley Fichtorn, So., Tennessee
Erika Lauderdale, Jr., Tennessee
Rebecca Staff, So., Oklahoma
Kelsey Witten, Sr., Oklahoma
Alissa Kranz, Sr., Alabama
Meaghan Oven, Sr., Kansas
Traci Smiley, Jr., Kansas State
Courtaney Miller, Fr. SMU
Heather Brooks, Sr., Tulsa
Chelsey Lauzon, Jr., UCF
Varsity 8
Texas - 6:28.80
Tennessee - 6:29.26
UCF - 6:40.07
Second Varsity 8
Texas - 6:38.80
Tennessee - 6:43.60
Oklahoma -6:50.06
Varsity 4
Texas - 7:17.20
Tennessee - 7:19.18
Tulsa - 7:22.80
Novice 8
Texas - 6:43.50
Kansas -6:47.87
UCF - 6:52.17
Second Varsity 4
Tennessee A - 7:08.80
Texas - 7:13.41
Tennessee B - 7:22