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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF rowing team returns to a familiar course with one mission - defend its American Athletic Conference title.
"For us, defending a title has been a huge mission this year," junior Rachael Klunder said. "We're ready to go. The past two months we've put in a lot of work, a lot of extra workouts. Our heads are focused and we're really motivated to capture another title and have another ring on our finger."
The 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship course is on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif. The Knights, who earned the automatic postseason bid as The American champion, raced on the course at the 2015 NCAA championship.
"While not the entire conference squad has been (to California), a large portion of it has, so through practices, we're able to remind them and talk through different parts of the race course," head coach Becky Cramer said. "A lot of them know the drill in Sacramento."
Last season, the UCF rowing team won the program's first conference championship in West Windsor, N.J. This season, the program's 20th as a Division I sport, the Black and Gold were voted as the favorites to repeat as conference champions.
UCF's Varsity Eight, who earned the final Boat of the Week honor on May 3, is one of four boats to earn the top seed in its event on Saturday. The Second Varsity Eight, Varsity Four and Third Varsity Four are all favored to win their respective races.
The Knights are seeded second in the Second Varsity Four and the Third Varsity Eight races.
Last year, UCF won both the Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight events, and captured the American Athletic Conference title with a team score of 198. The Knights finished 19th as a team following three days of competition at the 2015 NCAAs on Lake Natoma.
The Third Varsity Four will begin Championship action at 2:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. PT, and the Varsity Eight will wrap up the events at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. The awards ceremony will be held at 3:50 p.m. ET/12:50 p.m. PT. The entire championship, including awards ceremony, will be live streamed on The American Digital Network.
Race Schedule
11:10 a.m. PT/ 2:10 p.m. ET - Third Varsity Four
11:20 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. ET - Second Varsity Four
11:30 a.m. / 2:30 p.m. ET - Third Varsity Eight
11:40 a.m. /2:40 p.m. ET - Varsity Four
11:50 a.m. / 2:50 p.m. ET - Second Varsity Eight
Noon PT / 3:00 p.m. ET - Varsity Eight
Story by Megan Herboth; Video by Chip Fontanazza; Photos by Avery Lee
