Clemson Rowing Earns Second Consecutive NCAA Rowing Championships Bid

May 19, 2009

Clemson, SC – For the second consecutive year, Clemson rowing will be participating in NCAA Rowing Championships. After winning the first ACC Championship in school history and finishing in second place in the South region at the Aramark South/Central sprints, the Tigers earned a team bid to compete for the national championship. Last season, the Varsity 8+ earned an at-large bid, so this marks the first time in school history that the Tigers will be competing as a team in the event.

This year’s championship will be held from May 29-31 in Camden, NJ on the Cooper River. Villanova University will serve as host.

“Very simply, we are thankful, we are excited, and we are motivated,” said Head Coach Richard Ruggieri. “It’s an honor to represent Clemson University and we will fight on every stroke.”

The championship is comprised of 16 teams and each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers and one boat of four rowers. The other teams competing include Brown, California, Dartmouth, Harvard, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon State, Princeton, Southern Cal, Stanford, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Yale. Clemson will be competing in the third heat of the opening round against Virginia, Michigan, Princeton, Southern Cal, and Dartmouth.

“Clemson is a special place. It molds people and helps them become the best that they can be. We are one team and we have one goal. We are going to represent Clemson the best that we can,” added Ruggieri.