Men's Varsity Eight Crew Places Third at Pac-10 Championships
May 16, 1999
Sacramento, Cal. - The Oregon State University varsity eight mens crew team finished third to highlight the Pacific-10 Championships near Sacramento.
The varsity eight, which won its morning heat with a time of 5:58, captured third in the Grand Finals behind nationally ranked California and Washington. The Bears rowed the 2000 meters into a head wind in a time of 5:44, while the Beavers posted a time of 6:02.
"First of all, Californias time was incredible -- they are the fastest crew anyone here has ever seen," OSU mens coach Dave Reischman said. "As for Oregon State, our crew was a little disappointed with the margin between us and Washington, but they rowed hard. We didnt close quite like we would have liked, but we certainly didnt have a bad race."
The mens varsity eight will now prepare for the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships later this month in Camden, NJ.
The rest of the mens results included the second varsity eight capturing fourth in the Grand Finals at 6:13, while the novice eight were third at 6:17. Both crews were second in their morning heats.
"The second varsity had a strong finish and made up a lot of distance on third place Orange Coast College," Reischman said. "The novice crew made up 10 seconds on Washington from last years race here."
A decision will be made later this week about the possibility of sending the novice crew to nationals.
"Our goal coming into this year was to close the gap on Washington and California -- the elite crews of this conference," Reischman explained. "We have certainly closed the gap on those crews, and the results from this event are really a stepping stone for this program."
The womens varsity eight placed fourth in the Grand Finals, after a second place finish in their heat. The time of 6:44, was 14 seconds behind No. 1 ranked Washington.
"This wasnt our best race of the year, but we did row well," womens Head Coach Charlie Owen said. "We were a little off the pace, but Im pleased overall with the effort."
The Beavers are hoping for an invitation to the NCAA Championships later this month in Sacramento.
"We have the two top ranked crews in the country, plus the strength of this conference, I think we deserve to be considered," Owen added.
The womens varsity four finished second in the six-boat field in the Grand Finals with a mark of 7:46.36. If the varsity eight receives an invitation to the NCAA Championships, the varsity four will also make the trip.
"We made a few changes in the lineup last week, and it seemed to work well," Owen said. "This is quite an accomplishment for a crew that hasnt been together the entire season."
The other two womens crews in the race included the second varsity eight and the novice eight finishing fifth in their respective Grand Finals. MENS RESULTS Varsity Eight Grand Finals: California, 5:44; Washington, 5:55; Oregon State, 6:02; Stanford, 6:06; Sacramento State, 6:10; Western Washington, 6:15
Second Varsity Eight Grand Finals: California, 5:54; Washington, 6:05; Orange Coast College, 6:12; Oregon State, 6:13; Gonzaga, 6:30; UC Davis, 6:43
Novice Eight Grand Finals: California, 6:05; Washington, 6:09; Oregon State, 6:17; UC Davis, 6:21; Stanford, 6:28
WOMENS RESULTS Varsity Eight Grand Finals: Washington, 6:30; California, 6:32; USC, 6:34; Oregon State, 6:44; San Diego State, 6:46; Washington State, 6:52
Second Varsity Eight Grand Finals: Washington, 6:57.04; California, 7:01.6; Washington State, 7:02.92; USC, 7:12.58; Oregon State, 7:17.3; San Diego State, 7:26.1
Novice Eight Grand Finals: Washington, 6:51.45; UC Davis, 7:04.79; Washington State, 7:10.17; San Diego, 7:12.98; Oregon State, 7:14.5; Puget Sound, 7:21.6; Sacramento State, 7:42.8
Varsity Four Grand Finals: Washington, 7:34.01; Oregon State, 7:46.36; Gonzaga, 7:49.22; California, 7:51.36; Washington State, 7:53.55; Santa Clara, 8:28.05
