ROWING FINISHES THIRD IN DAD VAIL REGATTA’S PETITE FINAL

5/9/2009

PHILADELPHIA –The Sacramento State women’s rowing team placed third in the petite final of the Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight competition Saturday afternoon during the second and final day of the Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River.

The Hornets finished fourth in their semifinal race earlier this morning (with a time of 6:36.12) to advance to the petite final. The two two finishers in each of the three semifinal races advanced to the grand final, and the third and fourth place finishers advanced to the petite final. Sacramento State finished with the seventh fastest time among 30 entries in yesterday’s heat racing to advance to the semis.

In today’s petite final, Sacramento State’s time’s of 7:13.43 trailed Fordham (7:09.04) and Massachusetts (7:11.90). Rounding out the remaining three places in the petite final were Alabama (7:25.96), Temple (7:32.36) and Connecticut (7:40.97).

When all was said and done, of the 30 entries in the event, Sacramento State was the ninth fastest crew as the top six reached the grand final, and the third place finish in the petite final gave the Hornets the ninth best mark. Grand Valley took home the gold medal after finishing first in the grand final.

Founded in 1934, the Dad Vail Regatta is the largest collegiate regatta in the United States that includes colleges and Universities from the U.S. and Canada. Over 100 schools and thousands of rowers will compete at the event this week.

The Hornets competed in the Dad Vail Regatta for the fourth time in the last seven years. The Hornets won a silver medal at the event last year, claimed its first-ever Everlyn Bergman Trophy in 2004, and placed second in the petite final in 2003.

The Hornets only travelled their varsity eight boat to the Dad Vail Regatta as the entire team will resume action next weekend at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships (Saturday, May 16) and the Pac-10 Championships (Sunday, May 17).

SACRAMENTO STATE LINEUP
cox - Erin DeGoede, stroke - Holly Hopkins, 7 - Heather Hopkins, 6 - Anne Morrison, 5 - Kellie Cook, 4 - Alicia Tarkenton, 3 - Megan Riggs, 2 - Elizabeth Danielson, bow - Tori Jackson.

SACRAMENTO STATE’S RESULTS

Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight Semifinals
1. Grand Valley 6:23.05
2. Saint Joseph’s 6:30.23
3. Alabama 6:35.86
4. Sacramento State 6:36.12
5. Dayton 6:45.12
6. Lehigh 6:59.38

Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight Petite Final
1. Fordham 7:09.04
2. Massachusetts 7:11.90
3. Sacramento State 7:13.43
4. Alabama 7:25.96
5. Temple 7:32.36
6. Connecticut 7:40.97