Rowing Set for ACC Championship

Sunday, May 13

Clemson, S.C.

5:00 PM

University of Louisville

ACC Championship

May 10, 2018 | Rowing

Cardinals compete on Sunday at Clemson

By: Jake Stanley

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville women's rowing team heads south this weekend for the 19^th Annual Atlantic Coast Conference Rowing Championships on Sunday, May 13 on Lake Hartwell in Clemson, S.C. The Cardinals will open competition with the heat session at 8 a.m., followed by the finals session, which commences at 5:30 p.m.

Live coverage of the regatta will be streamed on ACC Network Extra with Pete Yanity and former Virginia assistant Steve Pritzker covering the action, which can be found on the ESPN app. Live results will also be posted online through HereNow at https://theacc.co/row18liveresults.

Louisville earned the fifth seed in the varsity eight championship and will race in lane 3 during the first heat at 8:05 a.m. The seventh-seeded second varsity eight crew will compete at 8:40 a.m., followed by the fourth-seeded varsity four crew at 8:55 a.m. In the final two races, the sixth-seeded second varsity four crew starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by the sixth-seeded third varsity eight at 9:55 a.m. The Grand Final portion for Louisville will begin at 5:45 p.m.

"The team is really excited to showcase our speed at ACCs," said junior captain Margaret Geraghty. "We are prepared, ready to take on the challenge and looking
forward to some competitive racing."

The Cardinals are looking to follow up a strong showing against Michigan on April 29, where the V8+ crew posted a time of 6:25.74 that finished just over four seconds behind the No. 7 Wolverines. During the spring, the Cards have picked up six wins, including four at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational. The V4+ crew has posted a solid season with three victories, including a dual win against No. 12 USC and the B final at the Clemson Invitational. In earlier outings, the Cards have faced off against ACC rivals No. 7 Virginia, No. 18 Duke, Clemson, Miami and Syracuse. Louisville is currently ranked third among teams receiving votes in the USRowing/CRCA Coaches' Poll.

For Louisville, this year's squad has been tested by flooding and high waters on the Ohio River, which restricted their ability to train on the water. In recent weeks, the team has traveled to Oak Ridge for training and set program records on the ergometer, producing a quick and resilient crew.

"Our results versus Michigan along with the completion of final exams kicked off a great two weeks of training for the entire squad," said head coach Derek Copeland. "I'm really proud of our team and their willingness to adapt and be as flexible as possible, sacrificing their weekends to travel outside of Louisville to be able to row on the water. Their willingness to do whatever it took at a very challenging time has resulted in the entire program being in a better position today heading into the ACCs than any other year I have experienced at Louisville."

In last season's championship, the Cardinals placed fifth overall with 62 points as the V8+ turned in a time of 6:31.627. The crew's top finish came from the V4+, who posted a time of 7:08.027 that finished second behind league champion Virginia. Senior rowers Sarah Podwojski and Kirsti Harrison were named to the All-ACC Rowing Team following their performances. Podwojski and Harrison are among the 16 Cardinals seniors who have led the team during the difficulties of the spring, establishing a strong foundation for the program with the help of underclassmen captains Geraghty and sophomore Abigail Davies.

"The resiliency of this team has put us in a really good place today, and I give a lot of credit to our senior class and three co-captains," said associate head coach Sheila Rinozzi. "It's been a non-stop grind, but they have embraced that and I know all our boats are eager to get on the line and have the chance to throw down against the best in the conference. As coaches, it's exciting to see the belief in themselves and the team grow every day."

Throughout the weekend, follow the Cardinals on Twitter and Instagram for behind-the-scenes pictures and videos from Clemson. Check GoCards.com on Sunday for results and a full recap from the ACC Championship.

COVERAGE
ACC Network Extra
8 a.m.: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357522/acc-rowing-championship
5:30 p.m.: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3357507/acc-rowing-championship

Live Stats: https://theacc.co/row18liveresults

SCHEDULE
Morning Heats
V8+: 8:05 a.m.
2V8+: 8:40 a.m.
V4+: 8:55 a.m.
2V4+: 9:30 a.m.
3V8+: 9:55 a.m.

Grand Final
3V8+: 5:45 p.m.
2V4+: 6:10 p.m.
V4+: 6:35 p.m.
2V8+: 7 p.m.
V8+: 7:25 p.m.

PROJECTED LINEUPS
V8+: Kate Allport (coxswain), Violette Legrand, Abbi Fitts, Leah Stump, Lucie Heranova, Kirsti Harrison, Sophie Schulz, Sarah Podwojski, Hannah Richardson
2V8+: Perie Howard (coxswain), Claire Bahain, Caroline Lynch, Mallory Burnett, Rebecca Yaklic, Abigail Davies, Rachael Schmetzer, Rebecca Busk, Callie McGowan
V4+: Kim Streetz (coxswain), Allison Zimmermann, Madison Luette, Elizabeth Patrick, Kimberly Dil
2V4+: Margaret Geraghty (coxswain), Riley Kerber, Gillian Burns, Kaitlin Ulbert, Tara Carr
3V8+: Caitlin Ponko (coxswain), Samantha Stoll, Victoria Goldin, Caitlyn Pike, Brynna Walchle, McKenzie Vaughn, Tress Wiggington, Lauren Kelly, Emily Corso