Rowing Finishes Fourth at Inaugural ACC Championships

April 23, 2005

ACC Championship Results in PDF Format

CLEMSON S.C.- The University of Miami rowing squad finished fourth overall in its inaugural trip to 2005 ACC Rowing Championship held on the waters of Lake Hartwell in Clemson, S.C. Saturday afternoon.

The Hurricanes came in fourth with 19 total team points. Virginia won the varsity 8+, second varsity 8+, and varsity 4+, and finished second in the novice 8+ for a total of 49 points and its sixth ACC title. Clemson finished second overall with 41 points as Duke came in third place with 24 points. North Carolina finished in fifth with 17 points.

The Virginia Cavaliers, who won three of four races on Saturday, have won the ACC title every year since its inception six years ago. Clemson ended Virginia’s stronghold on all the events by winning the novice 8+ race marking the first time the Cavaliers have been defeated in that race in six years.

The regatta got underway with the varsity 8+. In cool 60 degree weather, the Hurricanes finished in fourth with a time of 6:50.40 only .9 tenths of a second behind third place Duke (6:49.5). Virginia placed first in a time of 6:37.0, with Clemson second at 6:45.5. North Carolina (6:56.1) rounded out the varsity 8+ field in fifth.

In the second varsity 8+, the Hurricanes were edged by North Carolina by .6 tenths of a second at the line. The Tar Heels clocked a time of 7:20.3, while Miami came in at 7:20.9 for fifth place. Virginia won the event, in a time of 6:58.8 with Clemson again finishing second (7:12.2), just ahead of Duke (7:17.4). At 1,000 meters, Virginia held open water while Clemson and Duke were tight for second place.

The Hurricanes finished in fourth in the novice 8+ with a time of 7:46.7 significantly ahead of Duke who crossed the line with a time of 8:25.3. The novice race marked the first time Virginia had ever been beaten in the ACC Championship. Clemson upset the Cavaliers’ bid for a sweep with a winning time of 7:20.2. Virginia came in second with a time of 7:25.1, while North Carolina finished in 7:34.3 for third.

Despite heavy wind conditions, Miami had its best showing in the Varsity 4+ race. The Hurricane crew of coxswain Meghan Leydecker, Julie Crane (4th), Mackenzie Dove (3rd), Jenny Dunning (2nd) and Marenda Chamberlin (1st) finished third with a time of 8:24.50. Virginia once again prevailed with a strong lead from start to finish ending with a time of 7:55.4. Clemson finished second for the third time in four races, coming in at a time of 8:06.3, while North Carolina (8:33.8) and Duke (8:53.8) completed the field in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Miami sophomore Sarah Conlon was the lone Hurricane named to the 11-member All-ACC team that was comprised of coxswain Launa Forehand (Virginia), Margaret Matia (Virginia), Carolyn McMillan (Virginia), Beth Clark (Virginia), Ashlee Brown (Clemson), Sarah Cooper (Clemson), Liz Averyt (Clemson), Tonia Boock (Duke), Emma Darling (Duke), Sarah Conlon (Miami), and Julie Domina (North Carolina).

Clemson head coach Susie Lueck was named ACC Coach of the Year. It marked the second time during her time at Clemson she has won the award, as she also won it in 2001. Virginia’s second varsity 8+ earned ACC Crew of the Year honors. That squad consists of coxswain Launa Forehand, Beth Clark, Crystal MacLeod, Libby McCann, Kerry Maher, Heather Gardner, Sara Lippa, Katie Yrazabal, and Chrissie Monaghan.

The Hurricanes return to action Friday, April 29th when they compete against Duke on the waters of Indian Creek in Miami Beach.