Clemson Finishes Runner-Up at Sixth Annual ACC Rowing Championship

April 23, 2005

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Clemson finished second overall at the 2005 ACC Rowing Championship held Saturday on Lake Hartwell. The University of Virginia rowing team claimed the sixth annual championship. The Cavaliers, who won three of four races on Saturday, have won the event all six times it has been held. Clemson claimed the third race of the morning, the novice 8+, making it the only time that Virginia has been defeated in that race in six years.

Virginia won the varsity 8+, second varsity 8+, and varsity 4+, while finishing second in the novice 8+ for a total of 49 points. Clemson finished second overall with 41 points. The Tigers became the first team to defeat the Virginia novice 8+ in ACC Championship history. Clemson finished second in all other events. Duke came in third place with 24 points, while Miami (19) took home fourth and North Carolina fifth (17).

The varsity 8+ was the first race of the morning. Virginia placed first in a time of 6:37.0, with Clemson second at 6:45.5. The Cavaliers had 20 meters of open water over the Tigers at the 1,250m mark. Duke came in third place with a time of 6:49.5, while Miami (6:50.4) and North Carolina (6:56.1) rounded out the varsity 8+ field.

The second varsity 8+ was also won by Virginia, in a time of 6:58.8. Clemson again finished second (7:12.2), just ahead of Duke (7:17.4). At 1,000 meters, Virginia held open water while Clemson and Duke were tight for second place. The Tigers had open water over Duke heading into the final 500 meters, though. North Carolina edged Miami by .6 seconds at the line, finishing with a time of 7:20.3.

The novice 8+ race marked the first time Virginia had ever been beaten in the ACC Championship. Clemson upset the Cavaliers’ bid for a sweep with a winning time of 7:20.2. The Tigers and Cavaliers enjoyed a 15-meter lead over the field at the 750m mark. At 1,000 meters, the race was even. But Clemson pulled out to a slight lead heading into the final 500 meters. Following a strong sprint, Clemson pulled away for the victory. Virginia came in second with a time of 7:25.1, while North Carolina finished in 7:34.3. Miami finished fourth (7:46.7), while Duke (8:25.3) came home fifth.

Clemson’s novice 8+ is the second crew to earn an ACC Championship. Previously in 2001, the varsity 4+ did so by knocking off Virginia as well.

The final race of the morning was the varsity 4+. In heavy wind conditions, Virginia prevailed with a time of 7:55.4. The Cavaliers held the lead since early in the race. Clemson finished second for the third time in four races Saturday, coming in at a time of 8:06.3. Miami had its best showing in the varsity 4+ race, finishing third at 8:24.5. North Carolina (8:33.8) and Duke (8:53.8) completed the field.

The 11-member All-ACC team was comprised of coxswain Launa Forehand (Virginia), Margaret Matia (Virginia), Carolyn McMillan (Virginia), Beth Clark (Virginia), Ashlee Brown (Clemson), Sarah Cooper (Clemson), Liz Averyt (Clemson), Tonia Boock (Duke), Emma Darling (Duke), Sarah Conlon (Miami), and Julie Domina (North Carolina).

Clemson head coach Susie Lueck was named ACC Coach of the Year. It marked the second time during her time at Clemson she has won the award, as she also won it in 2001. Virginia’s second varsity 8+ earned ACC Crew of the Year honors. That squad consists of coxswain Launa Forehand, Beth Clark, Crystal MacLeod, Libby McCann, Kerry Maher, Heather Gardner, Sara Lippa, Katie Yrazabal, and Chrissie Monaghan.