Kansas ready for Big 12 Rowing Championship
Link Big 12 Rowing Championship Central
Video Live Stream
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – University of Kansas rowing is set to compete in the two-day Big 12 Championship regatta this weekend at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Saturday’s preliminary races will begin at 1 p.m. Central time, while Sunday’s finals begin at 8 a.m. Central time.
The Jayhawks are aiming for their highest finish in program history with hopes to clinch the Big 12’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship after four third-place finishes in the last five years.
“We have been preparing to face fast competition, so we have to make sure that we are approaching this with a competitive attitude and the goal to be the fastest we have been all year long,” Kansas head coach Rob Catloth said. “We can’t be comfortable. We have to push harder than we have ever pushed.”
Coming off back-to-back Big 12 Boat of the Week honors, KU’s First Varsity Eight (1V8) has done just that – pushed their efforts to the limit. In the last two races, the First Varsity Eight notched two first-place finishes at the Mason Invite (April 23) and the Sunflower Showdown (April 28). This weekend, the Jayhawks’ 1V8 enter as the No. 4 seed in the top point-earning race of the regatta.
“It has been exciting to see the success of our First Varsity Eight,” Catloth said. “I’m very pleased with the way they have performed. There will be a lot of fast boats there, so they are going to have to be on their game, but they are rowing their best at the right time of year.”
Texas enters the weekend as the favorite, featuring No. 1 seeds in all six races and a national team ranking of No. 3 in the College Rowing Coaches Association/US Rowing Coaches’ poll. Oklahoma is receiving votes in the national top-20.
As the Jayhawks are seeking the program’s first-ever NCAA Championship automatic bid, the focus is on competing and maximizing potential.
“We need to be in the races and carry out the race plan and the technical details exactly the way we have been training,” Catloth said. “If we focus on the process, the end goals of where we place will work themselves out in our favor. We need to be competitive.”
The championship will be streamed for free in its entirety on Big12Sports.com. Live scoring is also available through Delta Timing.
QUICK STROKES
• Kansas’ First Varsity Eight is coming off back-to-back Big 12 Boat of the Week honors. KU’s top boat has earned Big 12 Boat of the Week at least once in the last three years.
• In eight Big 12 Championship appearances, Kansas has finished third six times.
• KU’s First Varsity Four (2012, 2014) and Fourth Varsity Eight (2013, 2014) are the only Kansas boats with first-place finishes at the Big 12 Championship.
• KU’s Second Varsity Four has featured a podium (top-three) finish for five-straight years, including a third-place finish last season.
• The Big 12 Championship is being held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Melton Hill Lake) for the third-straight year. Prior to moving to the Volunteer State, near Big 12 rowing affiliate Tennessee, the Big 12 alternated its rowing regatta between Kansas City (Wyandotte County Lake) and Oklahoma City (Oklahoma River).
• On Wednesday, a program-best 22 Jayhawks were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team, including four with 4.00 grade-point-averages. Eight senior Jayhawks earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors for the third-straight year, which is also a program-best.
SCHEDULE (Central Time)
Saturday, May 13 – Preliminary Races
1:00 p.m. – First Varsity Eight, Heat 1 (KU)
1:15 p.m. – First Varsity Eight, Heat 2
1:30 – Second Varsity Eight, Heat 1 (KU)
1:45 – Second Varsity Eight, Heat 2
2:00 p.m. – First Varsity Four, Heat 1 (KU)
2:15 p.m. – First Varsity Four, Heat 2
2:30 p.m. – Second Varsity Four, Heat 1
2:45 p.m. – Second Varsity Four, Heat 2 (KU)
3:00 p.m. – Third Varsity Eight, Heat 1 (KU)
3:15 p.m. – Third Varsity Eight, Heat 2
3:30 p.m. – Third Varsity Four Exhibition (KU)
Sunday, May 14 – Finals
8 a.m. – Third Varsity Eight, Petite Final
8:15 a.m. – Third Varsity Eight, Grand Final
8:30 a.m. – Second Varsity Four, Petite Final
8:45 a.m. – Second Varsity Four, Grand Final
9 a.m. – First Varsity Four, Petite Final
9:15 a.m. – First Varsity Four, Grand Final
9:30 a.m. – Second Varsity Eight, Petite Final
9:45 a.m. – Second Varsity Eight, Grand Final
10 a.m. – First Varsity Eight, Petite Final
10:15 a.m. – First Varsity Eight, Grand Final
11 a.m. – Awards Ceremony
BIG 12 ROWING TEAMS
Alabama *
Kansas
Kansas State
Old Dominion *
Oklahoma
Tennessee *
Texas
West Virginia
* – affiliate members
SCORING
Automatic Qualifier Scoring (All teams)
Race – 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th
1V8 – 24 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 3
2V8 – 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2
1V4 – 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
Big 12 Champion Scoring (Only the five Big 12 institutions)
Race – 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th
1V8 – 59 | 50 | 41 | 32 | 23
2V8 – 38 | 32 | 26 | 20 | 14
1V4 – 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 8
2V4 – 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2
3V4 – 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2
RACE SEEDINGS
First Eight
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Tennessee
4. KANSAS
5. Alabama
6. Kansas State
7. Old Dominion
8. West Virginia
Second Eight
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Tennessee
4. Kansas State
5. KANSAS
6. Alabama
7. West Virginia
8. Old Dominion
Third Eight
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Kansas State
5. KANSAS
6. Tennessee
7. Old Dominion
8. West Virginia
First Four
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Tennessee
5. KANSAS
6. Kansas State
7. West Virginia
8. Old Dominion
Second Four
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Tennessee
5. Kansas State
6. KANSAS
7. West Virginia
Third Four (Exhibition)
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Tennessee
4. KANSAS
KU BOAT LINEUPS
First Eight
Coxswain: Mallory Miller
McKayla Ross
BriAnna Dittberner
Katherine Young
Maddie Irelan
Kaelyn Thierolf
Meghan Karoly
Jordan Helms
Peyton Anderson
Second Eight
Coxswain: Kenzie Obrochta
Kayla Stubblefield
Lilly Stewart
Angie Allen
Allison Schaaf
Reese Arnold
Kylee Dewey
Bailey Blood
Morgan Kottas
First Four
Coxswain: Bailey Coolidge
Marget Winter
Lexie Lanphere
Emily Ruble
Brittney Railsback
Second Four
Coxswain: Katie McWhirter
Aminah Reid-Brydon
Kalyn Blessing
Mackenzie Klaver
Madison Wedderspoon
Third Eight
Coxswain: Abigale Lane
Bailey Brandon
Kristen Underhill
Caitlin McNulty
Valerie Swisher
Isabel Horosz
Madison Ruffalo
Kaitlyn Finger
Madison Hovis
Third Four
Coxswain: Riley Varuska
Kelly Koenigsman
Michaela Theis
Alex Burns
Kate Englander
KANSAS ALL-TIME TEAM FINISHES IN THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
2009 – 3rd of 3
2010 – 3rd of 4
2011 – 4th of 4
2012 – t-3rd of 4
2013 – 3rd of 5
2014 – 3rd of 5
2015 – 4th of 5
2016 – 3rd of 5
FOLLOW
Twitter @KU_Rowing
Instagram @kansasrowing
Facebook /KansasRowing
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
