Clemson Rowers to Compete in the Aramark South/Central Sprints

May 15, 2008

Clemson, SC – The Clemson rowing team will travel to Oak Ridge, TN this weekend to compete in the two-day Aramark South/Central Sprints held on Melton Hill Lake. Five crews will be competing for the Tigers in the regional championship, including the First Varsity 8+, Second Varsity 8+, First Varsity 4+, Second Varsity 4+ and Novice 8+. Clemson looks to improve upon last year’s 11th place team finish.

The 2008 sprints will feature 22 teams, including five from the ACC. Seven Varsity 8+ boats ranked in the Top 20 of the USRowing/CRCA poll will be competing this weekend in Oak Ridge. Last year, five teams from the South and Central regions were selected to participate in the NCAA Championships.

Racing gets underway for the Tigers at 9:20 AM on Saturday in the third heat of the Open 4+ competition. Clemson’s Second Varsity 4+ boat will be racing against Kansas, Central Florida, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Iowa. The top four finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals at 2:00 and 2:10 on Saturday afternoon. The fifth and sixth place finishers will advance directly to the C final to be held at 9:20 on Sunday morning.

The ACC Champion Novice 8+ boat, seeded fourth in this competition, will race next at 9:30 AM. The Tigers will face Kansas State, Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Kansas in the first heat of the Novice 8+ competition. The first place finishers in each heat will advance to the A final, while places two through six will advance to the repechages which will be held on Saturday afternoon at 2:20 and 2:30.

Next up for Clemson will be the Varsity 4+ competition in which the Tigers will be racing against Eastern Michigan, Central Florida, Minnesota and Miami at 10:10 AM. Clemson defeated Miami by 21 seconds at the ACC Championships last month. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals held at 2:40 and 2:50 Saturday afternoon. The fourth and fifth place finishers move on to compete in the C finals on Sunday morning.

The Second Varsity 8+, seeded seventh, will compete in the second of four heats at 10:40 AM. They will compete against Kansas, Louisville, Virginia, and Kansas State. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals held at 3:20 and 3:30, while the fourth through sixth place finishers will compete in the C/D semifinals at 3:00 and 3:10.

Clemson’s Varsity 8+, ranked 17th in the latest national poll, enters the competition as the eighth seed. They will be competing in the first of four heats at 11:10 AM against Kansas State, Wisconsin, and ACC foes Virginia and Miami. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals held at 4:00 and 4:10, while the fourth through sixth place finishers will compete in the C/D semifinals at 3:40 and 3:50.

“Our team has been competing very well against one another and we know the importance of being ready for this regatta,” said Head Coach Richard Ruggieri. “The South/ Central Regional is an amazing regatta and brings together a very deep and talented group of programs. We will need to be at our best and that is all we can ask of our athletes.”