ORLANDO – The No. 11 rowing team claimed another win of the season, crowned champions of the inaugural Orlando Invite at the UCF Intercollegiate Rowing Center on Saturday morning.
The morning of racing began with the lone B Final the Knights competed in with the UCF B, or Fourth 8+, competing in the Third 8+ B final. The boat crossed the line at 07:01.8, coming in just behind No. 14 Duke at 06:55.6.
Moving into the Big 12 contending boats, the Third 8+ was the first to claim the top spot for the Knights in their respective Grand Final. The boat of nine slotted into first with a time of 06:41.5, just 0.7 shy of the next closest boat in No. 19 Penn.
The next crew to go out was the first squad of five in the Second 4+. The boat was the only of the qualifying bunch to not finish in the top position, slotting in second behind No. 13 Alabama. The Crimson Tide clocked in a time of 07:24.0 with the Knights following at 07:27.0.
The First 4+ hit the course next, taking first place in their Grand Final. The crew crossed the line with a time of 07:14.9, followed by No. 14 Duke at 07:15.6, Penn with a time of 07:19.9, No. 15 Miami at 07:24.0 and finally No. 13 Alabama crossing at 07:25.1.
The next race, the Second 8+ Grand Final, had the most dramatic showing of the day with a 0.6 difference between first and second place. The top position once again went to the Knights clocking in with a time of 06:38.3 while No. 13 Alabama finished at 06:39.9.
Knowing the title of champions was on the line, the First 8+ delivered another clutch performance, taking the top position with a time of 06:24.5. The next closest boat in No. 14 Duke clocked in at 06:26.4.
The final standings of the day had the Knights on top with 48 points followed by Duke with 36, Miami just one point off at 35, Alabama at 33, Penn with 25, Oklahoma finished at 17, Clemson with 13 and rounding out the crews, SMU claimed nine points.
UP NEXT
The Knights have a week off before turning their attention to competition in New Jersey as they compete against No. 6 Princeton and No. 19 Penn on May 2.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.