Clemson’s Varsity 8+ To Participate in NCAA Rowing Championships

Clemson, SC – For the first time in school history, Clemson will participate in the NCAA Rowing Championships. After an excellent performance at this weekend’s Aramark South/Central Sprints, the Varsity 8+ crew was selected for the championship. The crew consists of Elyse Roenick (coxswain), Suzanne Van Fleet, Brittany Cummings, Megan Bendik, Liz Robb, Hilary Cumbest, Ford Heiner, and Michelle Nance. The championships will be held May 30-June 1 at Sacramento State Aquatic Center in Gold River, Calif. The University of California, Berkeley will serve as host.

“I am pleased to receive the news about our Varsity Eight as we represent Clemson for the first time in the NCAAs,” said Clemson Head Coach Richard Ruggieri. “We will make sure we row on behalf of all the members of the Clemson rowing team. It is a team effort and we will make sure we don’t let each other down.”

The team championship is comprised of 12 teams and each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers and one boat of four rowers. The teams competing in the team championship include Brown, California, Harvard, Michigan State, Ohio State, Princeton, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin, and Yale. In addition to Clemson, three other schools earned at-large eight bids. They include Michigan, Southern California, and Stanford.

The 2008 CBS Sports Presents Championships of the NCAA will air at 2:00 PM eastern time on Sunday, June 22 on CBS.