ROWING DEFEATS UC DAVIS, SACRAMENTO STATE WINS ITS THIRD CAUSEWAY CUP TITLE
4/25/2009
GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Sacramento State’s varsity eight raced to a winning time of 6:46.5 over 2,000 meters, defeating UC Davis’ top boat (6:48.2) in women’s rowing action Saturday morning at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center.
The victory in the varsity eight competition clinched this year’s Causeway Cup championship for Sacramento State. The Causeway Cup is the annual all-sports challenge between Sacramento State and UC Davis as the programs began competing for bragging rights in 2004-05. The Hornets have now won three Cup titles (2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09) while UC Davis has won two (2004-05, 2007-08).
What makes this year’s Cup championship that much sweeter is Sacramento State was able to complete the biggest comeback in the five-year history of the Causeway Cup. UC Davis won the first six competitions of the fall and scored the first 32.5 points before the Hornet football team defeated the Aggies, 29-19. Since that time, Sacramento State has won 13 of the last 18 competitions between the two schools to take a 56.67-43.33 lead. A possible 110 points were up for grabs in the Causeway Cup, and the rowing squad earned five points this morning to allow Sacramento State to surpass the necessary 55 points and clinch the victory. For complete Causeway Cup standings, click here.
In addition, the Hornets were able to win their 10th Jean Runyon Cup as the Hornets and Aggies’ varsity eight crews have been battling for the prize annually since 1997. Sacramento State owns a 10-3 record against UC Davis over that time, but had lost the last two years prior to today’s victory.
With a slight cross headwind on the course, Sacramento State’s varsity eight posted its winning time of 6:46.5, marking the second straight race in which the team has finished under 6:47.0 The Hornets have now defeated Texas, Central Florida and UC Davis in succession spanning last weekend. UC Davis kept it close this morning, finishing just 1.7 seconds slower than the Hornets, but it was not enough. In fact, the Aggies jumped out to a quick lead, taking a three-quarters boat length lead during the first 250 meters, but Sacramento State was able to overcome that deficit.
“I’m happy we won the (varsity eight) race, but I feel like we can race better,” Sacramento State head coach Mike Connors said. “UC Davis jumped out on us pretty good, and we were able to fight back and win. We’ve shown the ability to come from behind in races this year, but we can’t afford to fall that far behind. We need to work on getting a better jump at the start.”
The Hornets’ second varsity eight also won its race by 1.7 seconds, racing to a winning time of 7:06.5 while battling a five miles per hour cross headwind. UC Davis finished the race in 7:08.2, and Sacramento State’s novice eight also competed in the race, finishing at 7:25.9.
In the second novice eight competition, UC Davis’ A boat won with a time of 7:17.9, followed by UC Davis B (7:32.8) and Sacramento State (7:58.5). In the varsity four competition, the Hornets posted a winning time of 7:58.9, followed by UC Davis’ time of 8:14.6.
Sacramento State returns to the water next weekend when its hosts the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships on May 2-3. The WIRA’s serve as Sacramento State’s conference championship event, and the Hornets have won two of the last three WIRA team titles (2006, 2007).
GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Sacramento State’s varsity eight raced to a winning time of 6:46.5 over 2,000 meters, defeating UC Davis’ top boat (6:48.2) in women’s rowing action Saturday morning at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center.
