WEST WINDSOR, N.J. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF rowing team posted its highest finish in program history, closing out the NCAA Championships 18th in the team standings on Lake Mercer on Sunday morning.
Bolstered by a pair of boats in the C Finals, the Knights collected 28 points for an 18th place finish. They edged Gonzaga, who finished with 25 points in the team standings.
Opening the final day of racing, the Varsity Four came off the line strong and held a slight advantage through the 1000-meter mark.
The squad, consisting of Nicole Mayer, Aly Derksen, Shannon Perry, Grace Lindberg and Paula Parks, battled Navy down the stretch, crossing the line second in 7:48.114 to finish 20th overall.
Entering the weekend, the Second Varsity Eight was seeded 21st out of 22 teams. The boat, consisting of Catherine Harms, Rachael Klunder, Jasmine Blais, Anna Mahoney, Ivana Krkljus, Leslie Lajoie, Rachel Rabinowitz, Edvina Nesukaityte and Danielle Taylor, quickly exceeded those expectations, advancing to its first C Final.
In a close battle, the squad stayed with the pack down the course before slipping back into sixth place. The 2V8 posted its highest NCAA finish, crossing the line in 7:00.282 to take 18th overall.
The Varsity Eight closed out the day with its second appearance in the C Final in the last three years.
The squad, consisting of Olivia Hecimovich, Ashleigh Boyd, Claudia Destefani, Julie Poulsen, Lauren Aiello, Zana Krakic, Marija Medelinskaite, Viktorija Senkute and Mia Cleary, kept contact with Notre Dame and Northeastern as the teams make their way down the course.
The V8 tied its best NCAA finish, crossing the line sixth with a time of 6:48.449 to finish 18th overall.
UCF's 18th finish marked a two-spot improvement from the 2016 NCAA Championships and was one spot higher than the 2015 showing.