Tulsa Rowing Team Faces Tough Challenges at William Knecht Cup
4/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
April 10, 2003
Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa rowing team will be in action this Saturday and Sunday at the William Knecht Cup in Camden, New Jersey.
"The team is very excited to be racing at this particular regatta," Head Coach Kevin Harris said. "It is a great course that was envisioned by William Knecht, a man that means a lot to the rowing community, and we are just proud to be a part of it."
The racing style at the William Knecht Cup will be different than what TU has raced previously in the season, as all regattas thus far have been head-to-head competition, which is typical of mid-west regattas. This competition, however, will feature six boats across in each heat.
"This competition will give the Varsity 8 an opportunity to compete against 30 strong teams from across the nation, which will improve our level of racing," Harris said. "Our goal this year is to get back into the top-25, but for us to get there we need to race well this weekend."
An added amount of pressure will also be on the team, as the Varsity 8 crew will double up events, racing in four races on Saturday. "The women are fired up about this regatta," stated Harris. "They know they have trained hard all season and they are looking forward to stepping up to the challenge."
"The pairs and the fours are finding their stride, and even though the eight has had rocky practices, when they get on the line this weekend, they will relax and work hard to get into the finals," Harris said. "It will be up to them to medal and win the race, and I think they are ready to show everyone they are up for the challenge."
The Novice team has also stepped up in practice, but will be challenged this weekend as they race 48 other boats. "I am proud of the Novice team," Harris said. "Leslie Barnard has done a great job of leading the boat, and the team is excited to have the opportunity of representing, not only the Novice crew, but The University of Tulsa."
