Related: NCAA results | Live Webcast
GOLD RIVER, Calif. (UCFKnights.com) - The first day of racing at the 2016 NCAA Rowing Championships is in the books for the UCF rowing team. All three of the Black and Gold boats raced twice at the Sacramento Aquatic Center.
The Varsity Eight opened Friday action for the Knights, racing in the third heat of the event. The squad, consisting of Olivia Hecimovich, Ashleigh Boyd, Lauren Aiello, Viktorija Senkute, Ivana Krkljus, Zana Krakic, Marija Medelinskaite, Rachael Klunder and Julia Chase, finished fifth in their heat with a time of 6:46.269. The boat advanced to the second heat of the repechage later on Friday afternoon.
The Second Varsity Eight raced in UCF's second event of the day, closing out in the fourth heat. The boat, consisting of Catherine Harms, Edvina Nesukaityte, Jasmine Blais, Dani Burton, Sarah Gordon, Grace Lindberg, Lauren Wasko, Danielle Taylor and Leonie Hamel, finished sixth with a time of 7:13.10. The squad advanced to the second heat of the repechage in the afternoon.
The Varsity Four, consisting of Kristen Taylor, Jazmin Sepulveda, Rachel Rabinowitz, Vitoria Artmann and Paula Parks, closed out the morning portion of racing in the fourth heat of the event. The Knights posted a time of 8:06.654 for sixth place, and advanced to the first heat of the repechage on Friday evening.
Despite battling a crosswind in the afternoon, the Varsity Eight shaved nearly six seconds off its time in the repechage. The Knights posted a fifth-place finish in the heat with a time of 6:40.324.
The Second Varsity Eight finished sixth with a time of 7:12.031 in the afternoon race. The Varsity Four closed out the opening day with a sixth place finish in the repechage with a time of 8:14.096.
The Knights continue NCAA action on Saturday. The Varsity Eigth will race first in the C/D Semifinal at 8:12 a.m. PT/11:12 a.m. ET. The Second Varsity Eight will race at 9:12 a.m. PT/12:12 p.m. ET in the C/D Semifinal. The Varsity Four will close out the day in the C/D Semifinal at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET.