SARASOTA, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - For the fourth consecutive year, the UCF rowing team closed out its season with a Top 20 performance. The Knights finished 20th overall at the 2018 NCAA Rowing Championships on Saturday afternoon at Nathan Benderson Park.
Due to incoming inclement weather, Sunday's final races were rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.
The Varsity Eight opened the afternoon out the day with its third appearance in the C Final in the last four years. The crew, consisting of Nicole Mayer, Lara Maule, Julie Poulsen, Rusne Dziugyte, Marija Medelinskaite, Grace Lindberg, Mia Cleary, Edvina Nesukaityte and Luci Derrick, tied its best NCAA placement with a time of 6:46.069 to finish 18th overall.
The Second Varsity Eight, consisting of Catherine Harms, Alyssa Ramos, Ieva Medelinskaite, Michaela Gundrum, Sydney Hays, Magdalena Pasternak, Shannon Perry, Leslie Lajoie and Rachel Rabinowitz, closed out its season with a third place finish in the D Final. The squad posted a time of 7:01.579 to finish 21st overall.
The Varsity Four, consisting of Elena Esteban, Aly Derksen, Abbie Pritchard, Jessica Matteson and Paula Parks, made a push down the course to push its bow ball ahead of the Gonzaga heading into the final 1,000 meters of the D Final. The Knights were unable to withstand a late run from the Zags, taking second in the final. The squad finished 20th overall with a time of 7:41.526.
UCF has placed in the Top 20 in all four of its NCAA Championship appearances under head coach Becky Cramer.