Rowing Begins Postseason at SIRA Championship Regatta
4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - With the regular season behind it, the Alabama Rowing team starts the championship season Saturday with the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta at Oak Ridge, Tenn.
"We got on the water today and had a good practice," Alabama head coach Larry Davis said. "It's packed out here this year; there are something like 2,000 entrants in this race, including some teams like Louisville that haven't been here in a couple of years. The level of competition, based on the times I've seen from some of the crews that are here is going to be faster than the last few years."
The Crimson Tide, in its third season as an NCAA Division I program, comes into the weekend having raced very well against tough competition throughout the spring season. The highlight for Davis has been the steady progress his team has made week-by-week.
"We're confident coming into this week," Davis said. "I'm pleased with where we are, especially with the progress we've made over the last week. Things are really starting to come together, the things we have been working on have become more natural, almost second nature."
There are five Tide crews competing this weekend - the Varsity 8+, Second Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+, Novice 8+ and Novice 4+. Davis and company are hoping to better their showing from a year ago which included a silver medal performance.
"With the way level of competition has risen here this year, we're going to have really be on our game to accomplish our goals of getting everyone into finals and earning medals in at least two of our five events," Davis said. "But the way we have been training we should be able to reach that level."
