Beavers Prep for IRA Championships
May 31, 2016 | Men's Rowing
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State men's rowing team's season comes to a close this weekend when the Beavers race at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships on Mercer Lake near West Windsor, N.J.
Heading into the IRA's the Beavers are ranked No. 20 in the final regular season USRowing Collegiate Poll. OSU was accepted to attend by an at-large bid after finishing fourth at the Pac-12 Championship's. Three OSU crews will head to the national championship regatta including the Varsity 8, Junior Varsity 8, and Third Varsity 8.
“The guys have been training hard all year,” head coach Gabe Winkler said. “They are ready to put it all out there for one last race. The times we have been posting the last couple of weeks, after the Pac-12's have been really good.”
OSU will face 24 varsity crews, with some being familiar Pac-12 competition including Washington, California and Stanford.
This is the second consecutive appearance the Beavers have made to the IRA's under Winkler and fourth straight appearance for Oregon State.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday
8:30-9:00 a.m. ET- Varsity Heats
9:30-10:00 a.m. ET- JV Heats
10:10-10:30 a.m. ET- 3V Heats
2:00-2:30 p.m. ET- Varsity Repechages
2:40-2:50 p.m. ET- JV Repechages
3:00-3:10 p.m. ET- 3V Repechages
Saturday
9:30-10:00 a.m. ET- Varsity Semifinals
10:10-10:20 a.m. ET- JV Semifinals
10:40-10:50 a.m. ET- 3V Semifinals
Sunday
8:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. ET – All Finals
COURSE: Mercer Lake is a man-made lake within Mercer County Park in West Windsor, N.J. The lake is the home of one of the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team's training centers. It has played host to the 1988, 1992, 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Rowing, in addition to USRowing National Team selection events, international regattas, and both collegiate and junior national championship regattas.
ADMISSION & PARKING: Parking is $10 per day. Admission is $10 per day, per person. Spectators under the age of 18 receive admission for free. The IRA is cash only at the championships. Tickets and parking passes can be pre-purchased online at: https://princetonnationalrowingassocia.thundertix.com.
RESULTS: Live results will be posted http://ira.qra.org/ or by following Oregon State rowing Twitter account (@BeaverRowing).
As the Beavers head to the national championships we take a closer look at Bobby Vernazza, a senior from Redwood City, Calif. majoring in biology.
Why did you choose to attend Oregon State?
“The rural environment, the prestigious academics and the rowing program.”
What do you like best about your teammates?
“They are all good-hearted individuals who care about each other and make competing with each other at practice fun and enjoyable.”
What do you like best about your coaches?
“They are fairly laid back and like to crack a few jokes every once in a while, yet they know how to get down to business and get the job done.”
What do you like best about Corvallis?
“The small college town atmosphere makes Corvallis an irresistible place to be. There are so many outdoor activities that are possible with just an hour drive outside of Corvallis making it a great college town for any outdoor enthusiast.”
What is your best athletic achievement to date?
“Beating Wisconsin two years in a row.”
What are your team and individual goals for the season?
“Team goals are to get into the top 10 at the national championships this year. My individual goals are to critique my rowing skills to become the most efficient rower I can as well as encourage others to reach their full potential.”
What do you prefer head races or head to head races? and why?
“I prefer head to head races due to the fact they are only 2000 meter races allowing the intensity to be much higher. In addition, there is nothing like giving your 100% during a race and knowing the guy in the boat next to you is doing the same thing, yet you have to find a way to defeat him before your 2000-meter time limit is up. There is much more excitement and emotion with the head-to-head races.”
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