Oct. 9, 2011
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By Eric DeSalvo
UCFAthletics.com
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (UCFAthletics.com) - In its first regatta of the season, the UCF rowing team placed both "A" boats in the top three of the Collegiate 8+ and 4+ Saturday afternoon in the Chattanooga Head Race. The competition that took place on the Tennessee River saw the Knights go head-to-head with Conference USA foes Tennessee and Alabama.
Head coach Becky Cramer is pleased with the Knights' season opening performance, and is looking forward to seeing the squad progress throughout the year.
"We had a good day racing and learned a lot about where we are and where we can find more speed," Cramer said. "We were able to test ourselves, push our comfort zone and it is exciting to see where we stand after our first weekend of racing."
In the first race of the day, UCF's "A" boat of Lucina Pinelli, Kali Mills, Nina Morgan, Alyssa Egan, Nicole Lacek, Margret Lahmeyer, Calena Illan, Ginni Dunlop and Clair Frenkel notched a third-place showing in the Collegiate 8+ with a time of 17:14.07. The crew finished behind Tennessee's "B" boat and Alabama's "A" rig which took first and second, respectively, in 16:55.55 and 17:12.91.
UCF's "B" squad of Kelly Thiele, Annie Thompson, Camille Everett, Amanda Schimian, Christina Bechtold, Michelle Haves, Katherine Krueger, Noelle Crosby and Karlie Kechele managed a fifth-place showing in the Collegiate 8+ race with a time of 17:45.80.
Returning in the afternoon Collegiate 4+, the Knights took third and fourth place, respectively behind both of Tennessee's boats. UCF's "A" crew of Lacek, Lahmeyer, Illan, Dunlop and Frenkel crossed the line with a mark of 17:58.71. The "B" squad of Pinelli, Mills, Morgan, Egan and Kram followed closely behind in 18:14.40.
The varsity squad will return to action in two weeks when it heads to Boston, Mass., to race in the Head of the Charles on Oct. 23.
Collegiate 8+ (17 Crews)
1. Tennessee B 16:55.55
2. Alabama A 17:12.91
3. UCF A 17:14.07
4. Alabama B 17:34.22
5. UCF B 17:45.80
Collegiate 4+ (29 Crews)
1. Tennessee B 17:42.93
2. Tennessee A 17:48.33
3. UCF A 17:58.71
4. UCF B 18:14.40
5. Alabama B 18:17.50