Miami Rowing Set For San Diego Crew Classic

April 3, 2003

The University of MIami women’s rowing team will travel to the West Coast to participate in the 30th Annual San Diego Crew Classic Regatta Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6 at Crown Point Shores Park in San Deigo, Calif.

Miami’s Varsity EIght squad will face Gonzaga, Purdue, UCSB, St. Joseph’s, Orange Coast, and Loyola in the preliminary heat race Saturday, April 5 at 7:50 a.m. (EST).

Two additional preliminary races consisting of seven teams will take place earlier in the day. The top six boats in the event will qualify for the Grande Final of the Women’s California Cup on Sunday, April 6.

“The San Diego Crew Classic is one of the largest spring regattas in the country,” said head coach Debra Morgan. “We’ll be racing crews from every region of the nation. We know we have some speed, now its just a matter of handling the wind and rough water in the heat in order to qualify for the grand final.”

Miami’s Varsity Eight line up will consist of Jessica Martin, Jacqui Julien, Jenny Krawec, Ananda Chou, Bridget Gallagher, Rachel Sander, Caroline Stuart, Margaret Knuth and Jordanna Heywood.

San Diego Crew Classic History
Behind the birth of the San Diego Crew Classic in 1973 were two century old rowing clubs: The San Diego Rowing Club, founded in 1888, and the women’s ZLAC Rowing Club, founded in 1892. Several generations of old San Diego families were members of the clubs and from them came Crew Classic founders Patty Wyatt, Joe Jessop, Andy Borthwick, Del Beekley, and others like them. They had the vision and the initiative.

The University of Washington and the Naval Academy had developed a great rivalry and, when they were approached with the idea of coming to San Diego for a West Coast regatta, they enthusiastically agreed.

The first Crew Classic regatta featured 300 competitors in 12 races and a budget of $10,000. The twenty-sixth Crew Classic features over 3,000 competitors in 87 races with a budget of $300,000.

The San Diego Crew Classic has become internationally recognized as one of the finest regattas in the world.