Rowing Earns Gold at SIRA Championship Regatta

4/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Rowing

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The Alabama Rowing team won a gold medal at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta, the first in program history, amid cold and drizzly conditions at the Melton Lake Rowing Venue.

The Crimson Tide won the Grand Final of the Novice 8+ race with a time of 7:14.90, finishing a boat length ahead of Grand Valley which turned in a time of 7:20.20. Kansas State was next followed by Tulsa and Kansas. The Alabama crew of coxswain Paige Storey, Erika Baranek, Bianca Arrington, Kristen Iverson, Veronica Wilson, Stephanie Varner, Valerie Vargas, Jessica Allaway and Leigh Ann Terch came away with the Tide's first gold medal at the SIRA Championships.

"It's always great to take home a gold medal," Alabama head coach Larry Davis said. "We earned a silver medal here last season and now we've moved up a step."

In Alabama's other Grand Final appearance, the Junior Varsity 8+ boat finished fourth with a time 7:19.50. Louisville took first place at 7:06.10, followed by Kansas and Purdue. SMU came with fifth.

"We finished just out of the medals in the Second Varsity race," Davis said. "It was a very strong field and we performed well, but at this level we have to be perfect in all phases of our race. The difference between medaling or not is so slim that it comes down to who executes the best all the way down the river."

Alabama finished third in the Petite-Final of the Varsity 8+ with a time of 7:09.60. In a tight race, SMU took first with a time of 7:07.60, followed by Oklahoma at 7:08.00. Tulsa was fourth and West Virginia in fifth.

"That was a real fight among the top four teams all the way down the river," Davis said.

The Tide avenged its dual-meet loss to Kansas State in the Varsity 4+, winning the C-Final over the Wildcats 8:10.20 to 8:10.80. Mercyhurst was third followed by Central Florida and Wake Forest.The Tide's Novice 4+ also earned a berth in the C-Final but due to inclement weather it was canceled.

Alabama returns to action May 8 at the Dad Vail Rowing Championships in Philadelphia, Penn.

2009 Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta

Novice 8+ Grand Final

Alabama - 7:14.90 Cox: Paige Storey, Erika Baranek, Bianca Arrington, Kristen Iverson, Veronica Wilson, Stephanie Varner, Valerie Vargas, Jessica Allaway, Leigh Ann Terch
Grand Valley - 7:20.20
Kansas State - 7:26.40
Tulsa - 7:27.10
Kansas - 7:44.10

Junior Varsity 8+ Grand Final

Louisville - 7:06.10
Kansas - 7:13.40
Purdue - 7:17.40
Alabama - 7:19.50 Cox: Cathryn Whitlock, Katie Smith , Lauren Miller, Jessica Autrey, Amelia Houghton, Sarah Witt, Leigh Erin Waddell, Daniella Barone, Katie Allaway
SMU - 7:32.65

1st Varsity 8+ Petite Final

SMU - 7:07.60
Oklahoma - 7:08.00
Alabama - 7:09.60 Cox: Bailey Sanders, Laura Skaggs, Nikki Lopez, Victoria Croy, Sara Leibold, Stacey Ogle, Jessica Scivley, Cara Allison, Katherine Spohr
Tulsa - 7:16.30
West Virginia - 7:25.50

1st Varsity 4+ C-Final

Alabama - 8:10.20 Cox: Mary Vlasis, Camille Campbell, Chelsea Collins, Lauren Hovey, Helen Barnes
Kansas State - 8:10.80
Mercyhurst - 8:23.90
Central Florida - 8:27.90
Wake Forest - 8:33.40