Three Tulsa Boats Earn Second-Place Marks in Day One at Sunshine State Invitational

Friday, March 31

Sarasota, Fla.

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Sunshine State Invitational

Three Tulsa Boats Earn Second-Place Marks in Day One at Sunshine State Invitational

3/31/2017 5:38:00 PM | Rowing

By: Stephanie Hall

The Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+ and Second Varsity 4+ all turned in second-place marks in their respective races on Friday at the Sunshine State Invitational at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla. TU will conclude the regatta on Saturday.

"The team is responding well to the challenges we are putting in front of them," Head Coach Kevin Harris said. "There are good teams here. We know Alabama has been working hard and that UCF and Miami have some speed, but we've come into a place where all the crews are similar in speed so we're trying to establish the fact that we are a team to be reckoned with in this group."

The Varsity 8+ recorded a time of 6:32.7, one second behind first-place UCF, while finishing ahead of third-place Alabama by six seconds. Miami, Kansas State, Jacksonville, North Carolina and Stetson rounded out the field.

In the Varsity 4+, Lindsey Smith, Amy Pitzel, Julia Herrel, Madeline Oleksiak and Audrey Brown tallied a time of 7:27.6. Alabama took first with a time of 7:24.2, while the Wildcats were third (7:34.8).

Eva Trabucco, Skylar Luttjehuizen, Lauren Turner, Jasmine Leheta and Taylah Eder raced the 2^nd Varsity 4+ to a 7:36.1 time, trailing Alabama by five seconds and ahead of UCF by six.

"The 2V4 had a really good fight with Alabama, but they got out on us in the second 500-meters," Harris said. "We need to be better in the middle of the race. The Varsity 4+ was consistent, but they need to be more aggressive throughout the entire race, and the V8 had a really good race."

The 2^nd Varsity 8+ finished eighth in their race with a time of 11:08.98 after breaking an oar during their race.

"Luckily we'll be able to race this race again tomorrow," Harris said. "We will have to come out hungry. They were ready to race today, but it was an unfortunate incident."

Varsity 8+
1. UCF – 6:31.7
2. Tulsa – 6:32.7
3. Alabama – 6:38.6
4. Miami – 6:41.2
5. Kansas State – 6:48.0
6. Jacksonville – 6:51.71
7. North Carolina – 6:55.9
8. Stetson – 7:36.5

Varsity 8+
Marcia Vidaurri
Jennifer Casson
Lauren Vander Hoeven
Hannah Vissers
Helen Leigh
Colleen Giesbrecht
Maria Gearing
Sydney Pirkle
Sophia Camara

2^nd Varsity 8+
1. Miami – 6:51.5
2. Kansas State – 6:51.9
3. UCF – 6:52.7
4. North Carolina – 6:56.8
5. Alabama – 7:01.36
6. Jacksonville – 7:04.1
7. Stetson – 8:41.8
8. Tulsa – 11:08.98

2^nd Varsity 8+
Sam Barber
Mikala Burns
Paige Hallam
Kristy Covre
Veronique Ulrich
Daniela Fusco-House
Alessia Ruggiu
Madeline Lyons
Elisa Vandersloot

Varsity 4+
1. Alabama – 7:24.2
2. Tulsa – 7:27.6
3. Kansas State – 7:34.8
4. North Carolina – 7:37.5
5. UCF – 7:44.3
6. Jacksonville – 7:54.1
7. Miami – 8:03.5
8. Stetson – 10:03.0

Varsity 4+
Lindsey Smith
Amy Pitzel
Julia Herrel
Madeline Oleksiak
Audrey Brown

2^nd Varsity 4+
1. Alabama – 7:31.7
2. Tulsa – 7:36.1
3. UCF – 7:42.8
4. Kansas State – 7:49.7
5. UCF 'B' – 7:55.2
6. North Carolina – 7:57.7
7. Jacksonville – 8:01.2
8. Miami – 8:04.9

2^nd Varsity 4+
Eva Trabucco
Skylar Luttjehuizen
Lauren Turner
Jasmine Leheta
Taylah Eder