March 29, 2005
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU to Compete at San Diego Crew Classic
• The San Diego State women's crew team takes part in the 32nd annual San Diego Crew Classic at Mission Bay this weekend. Expected crowds of 15-20,000 will watch 3,400 athletes from 150 rowing programs across the country on April 2-3, including 16 collegiate teams competing in the Cal Cup competition. Jumbotron screens will help fans keep track of the action on an up-close basis. The San Diego Crew Classic has been held at Mission Bay since 1972. Cost for the all-day event is $7 per day, per person or $10 for both days. The event is free to children under 13 and people of active military duty. Parking at Vacation Isle is free with a shuttle service provided, while up-close parking costs $10. For more information on the Crew Classic, including directions, visit the official web page at www.crewclassic.org.
•The Aztecs will have an alumni tent set up for family, friends, donors and athletes to congregate.
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 26th Crew Classic featured 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.
Last Year at the San Diego Crew Classic
• The San Diego State women's crew team had two boats compete at the San Diego Crew Classic at Mission Bay a year ago. The lightweight boat finished sixth in the championship competition for the A.W. Coggeshall Cup with a time of 7:53.91. The varsity squad was fifth in the third final with a time of 7:18.31.
The final for lightweight boats saw all six squads ranked in the top 15 nationally in the USRowing preseason poll. No. 3 Wisconsin won the event (7:23.9) followed by co-No. 3 Stanford (7:40.98) and 14th-ranked UCF (7:47.63). No. 7 California finished fourth (7:51.33), 11th-ranked Purdue was fifth (7:53.47) and the Aztecs were sixth (7:53.91).
"It was a really tight race and fun to watch," head coach Jennifer Zebroski said. "They had two consistent races and stayed focused throughout the weekend. The results this weekend give us a gauge for the lightweights of where we need to go and what we need to do to get to the IRAs (the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships from June 3-5 in Camden, N.J.)." The NCAA does sponsor rowing championships, but not for lightweight boats.
In the varsity third final, Gonzaga was first (7:08.97), Colgate second (7:11.21), San Diego third (7:15.59), Temple fourth (7:16.90), SDSU fifth (7:18.31) and Santa Clara sixth (7:21.94).
A Look Ahead
• On April 9, San Diego State crew faces the other San Diego collegiate programs, San Diego and UC San Diego, at the San Diego City Championships, also held at Mission Bay.
• The lightweights, however, will travel north to Redwood Shores, Calif., to participate in the prestigious Windemere Cup.
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