Alabama Rowing Set to take 2021 NCAA Rowing Championship Stage

SARASOTA, Fla. – The University of Alabama rowing team is primed for the 2021 NCAA Rowing Championship at the Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., with three days of racing starting Friday. The Crimson Tide earned one of 12 at-large bids to the 22-team field, while their appointment marks the program's first-ever appearance at the national championship.

NCAA ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP - HOW IT WORKS

Each of the 22 teams will compete across three events, including the I Eights, II Eights and the Fours.

The Tide's I Eights crew earned the team's highest seed of the championship at No. 11 and is set to open competition in the third of four heats Friday at 8:24 a.m. CT. UA's II Eights group is the No. 17 seed, competing in the first of four heats Friday at 8:48 a.m. CT, while its Fours boat is the No. 13 seed, competing in the fourth and final heat Friday at 10:12 a.m. CT.

The top two boats from each of the four heats, per event, will automatically advance to Saturday's A-B semifinals, while the remaining crews will compete in one of two seven-boat repêchages Friday afternoon. The top two boats from each of the seven-boat repêchages will also advance to the A-B semifinals, while the remaining 10 crews from the seven-boat repêchages will compete in Saturday's C-D semifinals.

The top three crews from A-B semifinals will advance to Sunday's grand final and the remainder will compete in the petite final. The top three crews from the C-D semifinals will advance to C final and the remainder will advance to the D final.

FROM HEAD COACH GLENN PUTYRAE

"We're excited to be here. A lot of people have never been here before. Some of the comments we had from the athletes as they came off the water is that they were a bit more nervous than they normally are just because it's a big setting and it's a big environment. When you walk around Sarasota, you have the signage letting you know that this is where a championship is going to take place. The team is excited. It's a good healthy balance of nervous and exciting. Honestly, like we talked about, our primary goal is to try to outperform our seed at a minimum and see how high we can finish."

RACE SCHEDULE (FRIDAY, MAY 28, ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

8:24 a.m. – First Varsity 8+ (Heat No. 3)
8:48 a.m. – Second Varsity 8+ (Heat No. 1)
10:12 a.m. – Varsity 4+ (Heat No. 4)

ALABAMA LINEUPS

First Varsity 8+: Izzie Gonzales (Cox), Claudia Mecchia, Darcy Jennings, Gianna Rucki, Brittany Hill, Ella Kemna, Ella Maggio, Gabrielle Krieger, Rebekah Stewart
Second Varsity 8+: Emma Shekenberg (Cox), Keilani Hamann, Makena Clark, Saskia Dammersmith, Michala Struble, Sydney Wenstrom, Samantha Gafford, Raegan Beightol, Jacqueline White
Varsity 4+: Haley Alexander (Cox), Elizabeth Struble, Lauren Montgomery, Emily Strawbridge, McKenna Carroll

LAST TIME OUT: BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

Alabama rowing placed second at the 2021 Big 12 Championship in Austin, Texas, May 15, the second-straight season the Crimson Tide reached that feat
The team medaled in all four races at the league meet, collecting 141 points, just 26 points behind first-place finishers and host Texas
The Tide finished second in the 1V8+ (6:56.907), 1V4+ (8:06.949) and 2V4+ (7:55.061), while they posted a third-place finish in the 2V8+ (7:15.364)

SCOUTING ALABAMA

The 2021 NCAA Rowing Championship marks the Tide's eighth event of the spring for the team.
Five Alabama rowers, including Brittany Hill, Claudia Mecchia, Rebekah Stewart, Darcy Jennings and Izzie Gonzales, earned All-Big 12 accolades for their respective performances at the Big 12 Championship.
The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 13 in the latest Division I Pocock CRCA Rankings, appearing in every coaches' poll this season.
Head coach Glenn Putyrae is in his third season at the helm of the Crimson Tide. He has led UA to a pair of program-best second place finishes at the Big 12 Championship in each of first two appearances at the league meet in 2019 and 2021, earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors in 2019.

For the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaRow on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Rowing on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.