University of Louisville
Michigan
Louisville Rowing Visits 10th-Ranked Michigan on Saturday
April 29, 2016 | Rowing
Cardinals will face Wolverines and Michigan State in V8+, 2V8+, V4+, 2V4+ and 3V8+ races at Belleville Lake
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In its final racing competition before next month's Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, the Louisville rowing team travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan this weekend for a series of races on Saturday morning against No. 10 Michigan and Michigan State.
The race schedule on Belleville Lake begins at 9 a.m., ET with the second novice eights, while the first race of the day for the Cardinals will commence at 9:18 a.m., with the third varsity eights. Louisville will also race at 9:36 a.m., in the second varsity four, 9:54 a.m., in the first varsity four, 10:12 a.m., in the second varsity eight and 10:30 a.m., in the first varsity eight. Live video of the racing at Michigan will be streamed online here.
"Michigan is a consistent NCAA program and their in position to return again this season, so having success against them strengthens our team and the entire ACC. As a league, we want to create as much high level depth as we can, so the more positive results we have against NCAA caliber programs, the more likely it is that we as a conference can earn more at-large bids to the NCAA Championship," said Louisville head coach Derek Copeland. "We expect some very competitive racing this weekend and we know Michigan will be ready."
Following the racing action in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Louisville will return home to host its annual team banquet on Sunday. The event coincides with the completion of the spring semester as well as the regular season racing schedule. As the ACC and NCAA Championships draw closer, the Cardinals believe they're hitting their stride and producing the most speed they've had all season.
"We typically get faster in the final month of the season each year and I think racing at Michigan in our final pre-conference event, which we've done multiple times, has helped in that process. We like how our groups and boats have progressed this spring and we have more depth than ever before," Copeland said.
This will mark the final regular season event for Louisville's nine seniors, the first class to have competed all four seasons with Copeland as the head coach. That group -- McKenzie Clifford, Cynthia Doyle, Katie Miller, Katie Nord, Hanna Spittel, Sophie St. Martin, Abbie Wade, Kelsey Webb and Amanda Zalno – has helped in the continued growth and upward trajectory of the program.
In its last outing, the Louisville rowing team earned one win and four runner-up finishes during the Clemson Invitational on April 16-17. Following Saturday's event at Michigan, Louisville will compete at the 2016 ACC Championship on May 13-14 in Clemson, South Carolina.
Fans can follow University of Louisville rowing on Twitter (@UofLRowing) at http://twitter.com/UofLRowing.
Â
Players Mentioned
