University of Louisville
BIG EAST Championship
Cardinals Finish Third at BIG EAST Rowing Championship
May 13, 2012 | Rowing
May 13, 2012
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2012 BIG EAST Rowing Championship Race Results 
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - The Louisville rowing team earned a third-place finish overall at Sunday's 2012 BIG EAST Championship on Mercer Lake while three Cardinals earned All-BIG EAST honors.
Louisville finished the event with 87 points overall, while Notre Dame won its ninth straight BIG EAST title with 111 points. Syracuse was second with 97 points, with Georgetown finishing fourth with 69 points. Connecticut had 60 points to finish fifth and was followed by Rutgers in sixth with 55, West Virginia in seventh with 54 and Villanova in eighth with 30 points.
Along with the team results, three Cardinals earned All-BIG EAST honors on Sunday led by junior Ellen Fawcett, who was selected First Team All-BIG EAST. She was joined by junior Erin Bennett and sophomore Morgan Dunham, who were Second Team All-BIG EAST selections.
The Cardinals' highest event finish on the day was their runner-up result in the second varsity four final. Louisville also added third-place finishes in the varsity eight grand final, second varsity eight grand final and third varsity four final. The Cardinals also earned a fourth-place finish in the varsity four grand final and a fourth-place result in the third varsity eight final.
Comments from Louisville head coach Laura Aubrey:
"The team raced well today, but it simply wasn't enough to bring home the win. It came down to the varsity eight and the 1.7-second loss to Syracuse is what cost us the runner-up team trophy."
"We qualified all boats for the grand finals and we had some close finishes in the time trials which indicated there would be some very tight racing in the afternoon. There was good focus and energy coming off the water in the morning. The girls felt fresh and were confident they had more to tap into for the second session."
"The girls in the third varsity four boat started nine months ago knowing nothing about the sport of rowing. They came a long way in a short period of time and learned an incredible amount in the process."
"Similar to the third varsity four, the ladies in the third varsity eight crew stepped into a boat for the first time back in August. They gave a good effort and made solid gains in many areas throughout the semester."
"The second varsity four, comprised of the top four rowers from the walk-on group and coxed by a very tenacious coxswain in Amelia Motsch, put forth a solid race to bring home a silver medal. They really showed a lot of grit and I think all should feel good about their performance."
"The varsity four had a challenging race and came up short in their final. I think all of them were disappointed in their finish because they were hoping and expecting a better result. Races like these force us to grow and look to areas where we can improve."
"With the second varsity eight, I was happy with the execution of their race but disappointed with their times. They've made considerable gains the last few weeks in practice and they were really hoping to close the gap on Syracuse and Notre Dame. These are always challenging races because the crew really felt they put together a great race. It simply wasn't enough to bridge the gap."
"The varsity eight had a very exciting race with four boats across the entire way down the course. They got off the line well and held steady through the 1,000-meter mark. Syracuse and Notre Dame made a strong push just past the 1,000-meter mark but we remained composed and stayed in contact with them. In the last 300 meters, we were able to gain a few seats but weren't able to seal the deal. They certainly felt it was one of their best races of the year and that all of the areas we looked to work on and improve upon were well executed."
"Overall, I am proud of the team's effort but we understand we have gains to be made. With the entire team returning and a strong incoming freshman class, we have a solid foundation from which to build on."
Final Team Standings
1. Notre Dame, 111 points
2. Syracuse, 97 points
3. Louisville, 87 points
4. Georgetown, 69 points
5. Connecticut, 60 points
6. Rutgers, 55 points
7. West Virginia, 54 points
8. Villanova, 30 points
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Andriel Doolittle, Connecticut
Lindsey Bragg, Georgetown
Kayla Cook, Georgetown
Erin Bennett, Louisville
Morgan Dunham, Louisville
Erin Boxberger, Notre Dame
Courtney Gaberino, Notre Dame
Alish Sheehan, Notre Dame
Katie Quinn, Rutgers
Emma Karpowicz, Syracuse
Tiffany Macon, Syracuse
All-BIG EAST First Team
Mary Grace Haggett, Connecticut
Sydney Leguyader, Georgetown
Ellen Fawcett, Louisville
Olivia Kacsits, Notre Dame
Morgan Kelly, Notre Dame
Stephanie, O'Neill, Notre Dame
Katherine Geithman, Rutgers
Maggie McCrudden, Syracuse
Alison Todd, Syracuse
Kelly Kruppenbacker, Villanova
Courtney Schrand, West Virginia
Coaching Staff of the Year
Notre Dame
Players Mentioned
