Rowing Closes Out Season at Dad Vail Regatta
5/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - The Alabama Rowing team put two crews in the top-10 at the Dad Vail Regatta, the small college championship.
"We received a lot of compliments from other coaches for our performance this year as a first-year varsity program," head coach Larry Davis said. "We had a very good performance here this weekend. We had some good solid performances today in the semi-finals but didn't quite get over the hump."
All four of Alabama's crews advanced to the semi-finals where two of the boats finished one place out of advancing to the finals.
"Our times were all better today," Davis said. "We're a little disappointed after coming so close to fulfilling all our goals, but we have to be proud of how we performed this season. I think with a little tweaking we'd have made finals. I'm proud of how our kids handled the pressure and rowed some very good races. The competition was tough and I think we will come away from this weekend hungry for more next season."
Alabama's Novice 8 finished third in its heat of the semi-finals, posting a 7:00.5, less than three seconds out of second and a spot in the finals. The Tide was fourth in the semi-finals heats of the Second Varsity 8 race, just out of finals, crossing the line at 6:56.76.
The Tide's Novice 4 boat finished fourth in its heat of the semi-finals with a 7:56.55. Alabama was fifth in the Varsity 8, crossing the line at 6:47.01.
"Our Varsity 8 crew made a few mistakes, nothing major, but at this level you have to be close to perfect," Davis said.
The Dad Vail Regatta was the final competition of the Crimson Tide's inaugural season as a Division I varsity program.
