Clemson Rowing to Compete in Aramark South/Central Sprints

May 14, 2009

Clemson, SC – The ACC champion 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. Six crews will be competing for the Tigers in the regional championship, including the Varsity 8+, Second Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+, Second & Third Varsity 4+ and Novice 8+. Clemson finished in fourth place as a team last season, and finished a school-record second in the South region.

The 2009 sprints will feature 22 teams, including four from the ACC. Nine Varsity 8+ boats ranked in the Top 20 of the USRowing/CRCA poll will be competing this weekend in Oak Ridge.

Racing gets underway for the Tigers at 9:30 AM on Saturday in the fourth heat of the Open 4+ competition. Clemson will have two boats in the race and will compete against crews from Central Florida, Iowa Miami and Michigan State. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals at 2:20 and 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, while the fourth through sixth place finishers will advance to the C/D semifinals to be held at 2:00 and 2:10.

Clemson’s Novice 8+ boat will race next at 9:50 AM. The Tigers will face Kansas State, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Ohio State in the second heat of the Novice 8+ competition. The first four finishers will advance to the A/B semifinals at 2:40 and 2:50, while the fifth and sixth place finishers will advance to the C finals to be held on Sunday morning.

Next up for Clemson will be the Varsity 4+ competition, in which the Tigers will be racing against Eastern Michigan, Kansas, Michigan and Indiana at 10:30 AM. Clemson defeated Eastern Michigan on Lake Hartwell earlier this season. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals held at 3:00 and 3:10 Saturday afternoon. The fourth and fifth place finishers move on to compete in the C finals on Sunday morning.

The Second Varsity 8+ will compete in the third of four heats at 11:10 AM. They will compete against Southern Methodist, Central Florida, Michigan and Texas. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals held at 3:40 and 3:50, while the fourth and fifth place finishers will compete in the C/D semifinals at 3:20 and 3:30 on Saturday afternoon.

Clemson’s Varsity 8+, ranked 10th in the latest national poll, will begin racing at 12:00 PM against Kansas State, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, and #11 Virginia. Clemson is coming off their first-ever victory over Virginia in the ACC Championships last month. The Tigers have also defeated Eastern Michigan in a regatta held on Lake Hartwell in February. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the A/B semifinals held at 4:20 and 4:30, while the fourth and fifth place finishers will compete in the C/D semifinals at 4:00 and 4:10.