Rowing Earns Bronze at SIRA Championships
4/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The Alabama Rowing team medaled in one division and earned finals in two others in its first day at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship on the Melton Hill Rowing Course.
"We rowed well, though not as well as we could have," Alabama head coach Larry Davis said. "You have to be right on the numbers at this level of competition. The weather was good and the conditions were a touch slow, but not bad."
The Crimson Tide took the bronze medal in the finals of the Second Novice 8 race. Central Florida took top honors with a 7:36.2 followed by Purdue at 7:46.3. Alabama took third with a 7:54.3. Tennessee was fourth with an 8:15.1 with Louisville in fifth at 8:17.0. Georgia rounded out the final with an 8:30.6.
In the preliminaries of the First Novice 8, Alabama was third in its heat with a time of 7:22.1 grabbing a spot in Sunday's Grand Final. Kansas State was first in the heat with a 7:04.3 and Louisville was second at 7:17.1. Alabama, Kansas State and Louisville will be joined in the finals by Central Florida, Purdue and California State ?? Sacramento, the top three boats from the other preliminary heat.
In the Tide's preliminary heat of the First Varsity 8 race, Alabama finished fourth, earning a spot in Sunday's "B" final with a 7:08.3. California State ?? Sacramento was first at 6:55.2. There was a dog fight for second, with Purdue edging Kansas State 7:00.4 to 7:00.7.
The Second Varsity 8 race will go off tomorrow as a final with the Tide taking on Kansas State, California State ?? Sacramento, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Purdue and Tulsa.
"We have to step it up a little for tomorrow," Davis said. "Take it to a high level. If we do, that will get us ready to race Miami next week in Tuscaloosa. There are a couple of things we can do to be more efficient out there."
