Virginia's Varsity Eight In Grand Final At NCAA Championships
UVa is one of two schools with all three boats in Grand Finals on Sunday.
Virginia's varsity eight advanced to Sunday's (May 29) Grand Final in that competition with a third place finish in its semifinal heat on Saturday (May 28) at the 2005 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships.

Virginia's varsity eight advanced to Sunday's (May 29) Grand Final in that competition with a third place finish in its semifinal heat on Saturday (May 28) at the 2005 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships.

May 28, 2005

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. - The University of Virginia women's rowing team's varsity eight crew finished third in its semifinal heat at the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships on Saturday (May 28) on Lake Natoma and qualified for Sunday's (May 29) Grand Final in that event.

UVa's varsity eight joins the Cavaliers' second varsity eight and varsity four in Grand Finals on Sunday. Virginia's second varsity eight and varsity four crews advanced to Grand Finals in those competitions by virtue of winning their heats on Friday (May 27).

Virginia and California are the only schools with boats in all three Grand Finals on Sunday.

UVa's varsity eight had a time of 6:40.54 in its semifinal heat on Saturday to finish behind California (6:32.62) and Harvard (6:38.33). Michigan finished fourth in 6:45.56 followed by Washington (6:45.73) and Tennessee (6:49.72). California, Harvard and Virginia advance to Sunday's Grand Final in the varsity eight where they will be joined by Princeton, Yale and Ohio State.

In the Cavaliers' varsity eight race on Saturday, UVa was in fifth place after the first 500 meters. Virginia moved into third place during the second 500-meter segment of the 2,000-meter competition and held that position for the final 1,000 meters. The Cavaliers' varsity eight boat was comprised of Katie Hilton (coxswain), Catelyn Coyle, Ashley Jones, Margaret Matia, Andria Haneman, Carolyn McMillan, Kerry Maher, Katie Yrazabal and Melanie Kok.

 

 

Virginia's second varsity eight boat competes against California, Ohio State, Brown, Michigan State and Michigan in the Grand Final on Sunday, while UVa's varsity four competes against Washington, Brown, California, Southern California and Wisconsin in the Grand Final in that competition. UVa's second varsity eight and varsity four boats are undefeated this spring.

The Grand Finals will determine places 1-6 in each of the three competitions.

Virginia's varsity four won the NCAA Championship in that event last year and the Cavaliers finished tied for sixth in the team competition.

UVa has finished in the top seven in the team competition at each of the eight previous NCAA Women's Rowing Championships. Virginia, Brown, Princeton and Washington are the only schools to receive team invitations to each of the nine NCAA Women's Rowing Championships.