University of Louisville
Kentucky State Championship
Novice 4+ Wins at Kentucky State Rowing Championship
April 28, 2002 | Rowing
April 28, 2002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the first time in the program's three-year history, the University of Louisville women's rowing team had the opportunity to compete in front of its home crowd, but due to unrowable waters three of the four races were canceled at the 1st Kentucky State Championships Sunday morning.
The event between Louisville and Murray State, the only two NCAA Division I programs in the state, took place on the Ohio River between Six-Mile Island and the Jeffersonville, Ind., shoreline.
In the Novice 4+ race, the Cardinals overcame a boat-length deficit midway through the race and jumped out in front of the Racers on the last stroke to win the race. U of L finished the 2000m course in 8:42.9, while Murray State was a half second behind at 8:43.4.
The Cards' Novice 4+ squad was made up of coxswain Diana Golub, Andrea Murray, Holly Tomkins, Tabitha Thoma and Karen Bramer.
The Varsity 8+ race and the two 500m dashes had to be canceled due to the rough waters.
"I am extremely disappointed that we could not complete all of the races, but safety is a top priority in our sport," said U of L head coach Richard Ruggieri. "It was reassuring to see so many people cheering both teams on today. Rowing is a relatively new sport to the community, and the size of the crowd shows the tremendous amount of interest people have in us."
Nearly 325 spectators enjoyed the race on the Spirit of Jefferson, which was stationed at the finish line.
Following the race, the U of L rowing team dedicated three shells after a luncheon at the boathouse. The three individuals were Gianina Marie, the three-year old granddaughter of Rocky's Italian Grill owner John Fondrisi, David Kamer, a 1978 U of L graduate and donor to the rowing program, and Tori Murden-McClure, the first woman and first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
"John, David and Tori have been tremendous supporters of our program," said Ruggieri. "We wanted to show our appreciation for everything they have done for us, so we had their names put on the side of the shells."
The Cardinals return to action May 17 when they travel to Oak Ridge, Tenn., to compete in the Central/Southern Region Sprints.
