Blue finishes fifth in Central/South Region Sprints
The third-place finish from Michigan's varsity eight boat was exactly the kind of performance the rowing team needed at this weekend's Central/South Region Sprints.
The 13th-ranked Wolverines placed fifth overall in Oak Ridge, Tenn., but the first varsity eight's bronze medal increases their chances of securing an NCAA Championships bid.
In the two weeks between Big Tens and this weekend's races, Michigan coach Mark Rothstein implemented a few strategic changes. The team recognized heading into the home stretch of the season that it needed to focus on working as a team. The coaches decided to work as a unit by having each coach spend time with each boat, instead of the traditional method of coaching separate boats.
"We coached as a unit and really used each other's strengths, and I think it really made an impact on all the boats," assistant coach Veronika Platzer said. "We just had a blast and really enjoyed working together and helping each other out, and consequently all the boats really benefitted from that."
One aspect of its plan that stayed the same was the team's philosophy of racing a full 2,000 meters.
The varsity eight boat won both of its races Saturday in the same fashion. In the morning's heats, it edged Ohio State in the final 500 meters. In the afternoon's semifinals, the boat trailed Michigan State and Wisconsin halfway through the race. But with 500 meters to go, the Wolverines propelled their way past the Badgers while quickly gaining ground on the Spartans. The boat came in .55 seconds ahead of Michigan State.
The victory earned Michigan a lane in yesterday's A final. The first varsity four and the open four boats also earned spots in their respective A finals.
"Our ultimate goal was to put all four varsity boats in the grand finals," Platzer said. "We put three out of four in the finals, and that's a dramatic improvement from last year."
The Wolverines' varsity eight crew could not repeat Saturday's come-from-behind victory in yesterday's finals. The Spartans finished 1.2 seconds ahead of the Wolverines for second place, and powerhouse Virginia took first.
In the day's other A finals, the varsity four finished fifth, and the open four failed to find a rhythm and finished last.
The NCAA will announce which 12 teams will receive team bids Tuesday. Even if the Wolverines don't qualify for a team bid, they could still qualify to send their varsity eight boat to the Championships. The Championships will take place May 30-June 1 in Sacramento, Calif.