March 17, 2016
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State rowing team will head to northern California to compete in three dual races this weekend on Lake Natoma. Competition will begin with host, Sacramento State, on Saturday morning. That afternoon the Aztecs will take on Saint Mary’s. On Sunday, SDSU will conclude the weekend by taking on Alabama.
Sacramento State is coming off of a successful outing at the Sacramento State Rowing Invitational on March 12. The Hornet’s varsity eight crew claimed first place in its race with a time of 6 minutes, 5 seconds. The showing was the fastest time in school history and resulted in Sacramento State’s eight being named the American Athletic Conference Boat of the Week.
Saint Mary’s also participated in the Sacramento State Rowing Invitational last weekend. The Gaels posted two runner up finishes at the regatta. Saint Mary’s finished behind the hosting Hornets in both the varsity eight race as well as the second varsity eight duel.
Alabama most recently took part in the Cardinal Invitational on March 12. The Crimson Tide entered 12 races and finished first in the first and second novice eight events. The novice eight topped crews from Michigan State, Kansas and Oklahoma while in the second novice eight Alabama took the two top spots.
The Aztecs are coming off of a two-week break from competition with their last outing came on March 5. SDSU finished behind host UCLA the first weekend of March in each of the four races entered.
The first of the three dual-races will get underway on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. Sacramento State, a fellow American Athletic Conference member, and SDSU will enter each varsity eight boats for the first competition. At 9 a.m., the second eight boats will face off followed by the varsity four crews at 10 a.m. The final race of the morning between the two California schools will be the novice eights at 11 a.m.
The Aztecs will resume competition at 3:45 p.m. when they face Saint Mary’s in the varsity eight duel. The second eights will take to the water at 4:15 p.m. followed by the varsity four at 4:45 p.m. The final race of the day will get underway at 5 p.m. with the novice eights matching up.
San Diego State will return to the water at 8:20 a.m. on Sunday morning to face Alabama. The first showdown of the day will feature the varsity eight crews followed by the second varsity eights at 8:40 a.m. The final race of the weekend will be the varsity fours at 9 a.m.
Following the triple dual race weekend, SDSU will compete in the San Diego Crew Classic on April 2-3 on Mission Bay.