OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The San Diego State rowing team competed in the American Athletic Conference Championship Friday morning at the US Rowing National High Performance Center, where the Aztecs finished fifth in the conference as a team and logged a third, two fourths and two fifth-place finishes across its five races. Sophomore Hannah Broadland earned all-AAC first team honors, while freshman Helen Bauer made the second team.
The championship, which was moved up from Sunday, May 19, due to severe weather in the forecast, faced nearly a three-hour delayed start Friday due to high winds and debris on the course. SDSU was one of seven of the eight AAC rowing teams that competed in Friday's championship as the crews from Sacramento State were unable to make it to Oklahoma City in time for the event with the date change.
The varsity eight crews originally pushed off the dock at 9:45 a.m. CT, but breakage in that race pushed back the event to an 11:15 a.m. start, and the championship officially began at 10:15 a.m. with the second varsity eight.
In the 2V8 grand final, the Aztecs held their spot near the middle of the pack through all 2000 meters and ultimately finished fifth with a time of 7:26.922, just behind host Tulsa (7:22.932). UCF claimed gold in the event with a time of 7:09.336 and were followed by Southern Methodist (7:11.562) and Temple, who edged fourth-place Tulsa by two seconds (7:20.466). The Aztecs finished with a wide margin over University of Connecticut (7:41.680) and Old Dominion (8:16.737).
The varsity four crews hit the water around 10:45 a.m., and the Aztecs completed the first 500 meters trailing four boats but ultimately pulled into fourth place by the time they reached the 1,000-meter mark, where they remained for the duration of the race. UCF led the pack with a time of 8:07.240, followed by Tulsa (8:17.024), SMU (8:20.816) and San Diego State, who finished in 8:24.712. The Scarlet and Black led fifth place finisher Temple by nearly 14 seconds (8:38.108), while Old Dominion came in sixth (8:41.923) and UConn seventh (8:59.444).
The V8s got back on the water at 11:15 a.m., and SDSU crossed the 500-meter mark in fifth, but pulled up in the next 500 to cozy up to fourth place. By the time the crews reached 1,500 meters, the Temple crew caught the Aztecs once again and maintained their placement through the finish line. SDSU finished with a fifth-place time of 7:32.965, barely more than a second behind Temple (7:31.777). First through third place was taken by SMU (7:13.415), UCF (7:19.181) and Tulsa (7:26.445), while UConn trailed at sixth (7:41.201) and Old Dominion took seventh (7:47.229).
The second varsity fours were up next, and while the Aztecs got off to a slower start at the back of the pack, the crew pushed ahead of Tulsa and UConn by the 1,000-meter mark and maintained its position through the next 1,000 meters. SDSU completed the race with a fifth-place time of 8:53.105, almost 25 seconds behind leader UCF (8:28.259). Temple took second with a time of 8:36.991 and were followed by SMU (8:40.883). The Aztecs cleared sixth-place Tulsa by nearly four seconds (8:56.927) and had nearly a 30-second margin over sixth-place UConn (9:20.423).
SDSU was one of five crews to compete in the 3V4, the final event of the day, and started off hot, holding a lead through the 500-meter mark. Despite the rocket start, the Aztecs fell back to third by the time they crossed 1,000 meters and maintained to claim the bronze in the final with a time of 8:40.344. SMU led all boats with a first-place time of 8:31.430 and were followed by UCF, who edged the Aztecs by fewer than three second, with an official time of 8:38.148. Finishing fourth was the 3V4 crew from Temple (8:49.570), while UConn claimed fifth (9:26.738).
With the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four races counting towards the standings point totals, San Diego State earned 100 points at the championship, finishing fifth in the conference.
American Athletic Conference Championship
May 17, 2019
US Rowing National High Performance Center
Oklahoma City, Okla.
AAC Championship Standings
UCF – 180 points
SMU – 176 points
Tulsa – 140 points
Temple – 124 points
SDSU – 100 points
UConn – 68 points
Old Dominion – 52 points
Results (all grand finals)
2V8, 10:15 a.m.
UCF: 7:09.336
SMU: 7:11.562
Temple: 7:20.466
Tulsa: 7:22.932
SDSU: 7:26.922
UConn: 7:41.680
Old Dominion: 8:16.737
V4, 10:45 a.m.
UCF: 8:07.240
Tulsa: 8:17.024
SMU: 8:20.816
SDSU: 8:24.712
Temple: 8:38.108
Old Dominion: 8:41.923
UConn: 8:59.444
V8, 11:15 a.m.
SMU: 7:13.415
UCF: 7:19.181
Tulsa: 7:26.445
Temple: 7:31.777
SDSU: 7:32.965
UConn: 7:41.201
Old Dominion: 7:47.229
2V4, 11:45 a.m.
UCF: 8:28.259
Temple: 8:36.991
SMU: 8:40.883
SDSU: 8:53.105
Tulsa: 8:56.927
UConn: 9:20.423
3V4, 12:05 p.m.
SMU: 8:31.430
UCF: 8:38.148
SDSU: 8:40.344
Temple: 8:49.570
UConn: 9:26.738
Lineups
V8: Laura Keane (bow), Kaytlin Barker (two), Alexa Dietz (three), Alana Grollo (four), Julia Camillucci (five), Michelle Jacob (six), Larisa Sulcs (seven), Helen Bauer (stroke), Hannah Broadland (coxswain).
2V8: Deborah Worthey (bow), Anastasia Vontzou (two), Greta Viss (three), Maia Graham (four), Phoebe Dammersmith (five), Brooke Boron (six), Malia Metkiff (seven), Maddie Bernard (stroke), Bella De Avila (coxswain).
V4: Hannah Norris (bow), Grace Reginato (two), Maire Shannon Malloy (three), Brooke Hepner (stroke), Madison Fisk (coxswain).
2V4: Kamryn Whitworth (bow), Kyler Sloan (two), Mycayla Smith (three), Ellie Alexopoulos (stroke), Danielle Stancikas (coxswain).
3V4: Taylor York (bow), Aleks Manikowska (two), Laurie Tenenbaum (three), Naomi Marroquin (stroke), Julie Santiago (coxswain).