Michigan Impresses, Captures Ninth Big Ten Championship

Site: Devil’s Lake State Park (Baraboo, Wisc.)
Event: Big Ten Championship
First Varsity Eight Finish: 6:17.859 (1st of 8)
Team Finish: 189 points (1st of 8)
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sun. May 31-June 2 — at NCAA Championship (Bethel, Ohio), TBD

BARABOO, Wisc. — The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan rowing team captured the ninth Big Ten Title in program history on Sunday (May 19) and did so in dominating fashion with five gold-medal performances in seven boat classes. Propelled by a sweep from the varsity eights, the Wolverines scored 189 out of a possible 192 points for the third-highest team score in Big Ten Championship history.

Skies were sunny and temps were in the upper 60s at the start of races and reached the low-70s by the time the first eights docked at the start. A slight tailwind was present but affected the second half of the course more than the first 1,000 meters, and waters remained smooth.

It was Big Ten racing at its best, and the competition matched the atmosphere. The Maize and Blue entered the day’s final event, the first varsity eight race, with a 25-point lead over second-place Rutgers in the team standings. The Wolverines needed to finish no worse than third if Rutgers were to win the 1V8 race and U-M to still hold onto the team title. Instead, Michigan erased any doubt as to who the fastest team in the Big Ten is this year, delivering a decisive victory in the 1V8 race to claim 72 points and clinch the team trophy.

Michigan’s eight fought with Indiana in the first 500 meters. The Hoosiers were feisty from the start, and U-M had to build up their lead slowly, pushing ahead of IU and even farther from Ohio State and Rutgers. IU would not let go but had to fend off the Buckeyes, who made a move near the 1,200-meter mark and drew even for second place. Then Rutgers made a move, IU pushed back ahead of the Buckeyes and into Michigan, and the sprint was on. The Wolverines dug deep and kept IU at bay across the final strokes of the race, crossing in 6:17.859 with a margin of 1.02 seconds.

There was a restart in the 2V8 race, but once boats realigned and resumed, the Wolverines were locked in with a critical 48 points on the line for first place. U-M, Ohio State, Indiana, and Rutgers made up the lead pack in the early going with the Wolverines gaining a half-boat lead in the first 500 meters. U-M kept a smooth stroke rate up and looked fast as it tried to break from the field. Before the boats reached 1,000 meters, the Wolverines had done just that with open water on second-place Rutgers and Indiana. U-M did not let up and showed itself to be in a class above the rest, separating even further across the second half of the race. It was a first-rate performance for the Maize and Blue, crossing more than four seconds ahead of Rutgers to win gold in 6:15.038.

The first four saw U-M claim an early lead, putting a few seats on Ohio State, Rutgers and Indiana in the first 500. OSU began to move up on the Wolverines as the boats crossed 1,000 meters and U-M responded with a strong counter to OSU’s move. As the field spread out and the top boats began their final sprint, the Maize and Blue put open water on the Buckeyes and flew across the finish line, winning gold in 7:00.649.

In the 2V4 event, Ohio State and Michigan pulled away from the pack early and went stroke for stroke with each other down the course. The boats were separated by inches in the first 750 meters of the race before OSU began to pull away ahead of the halfway point. The Buckeyes’ move gave them a full boat-length lead and they pushed it to open water as the boats reached the sprint. Indiana regained contact with U-M and fought hard with the Wolverines second position., capturing Big Ten silver in 7:12.120.

The third four was a tight race from the get-go. Ohio State, Rutgers, Wisconsin and Michigan were the top boats with Iowa not far behind. OSU and Rutgers made up the lead pack and U-M moved into third, shaking off the Badgers. At the 1,000-meter mark, U-M was about two seats down from the Buckeyes for second place. Rutgers pulled ahead as U-M ate into the Buckeye lead stroke by stroke. In an impressive effort, the Wolverines overtook the Buckeyes in the final 250, showing a gutsy sprint across the line while also holding back Wisconsin to claim the silver medal in 7:18.949, crossing 2.421 seconds ahead of Ohio State.

The 2N8 set the tone with their gold medal performance to begin the day. Michigan led from the opening strokes, and only Iowa could keep contact with the Wolverines before put open water on the field in the third 500. U-M’s early lead on Iowa was maintained through the sprint even as Iowa fought back in the final 200 meters to try and earn seats back. They regained contact with the Michigan boat but U-M held Iowa off and the 2N8 captured the first gold medal of the day with a margin of 2.712 seconds.

The first novice eight followed with a gold-medal performance of its own to deliver a novice eight sweep for Michigan. Again, U-M took the lead from the opening strokes, but a much more concentrated chase pack of second place through fifth developed than in the 2N8 race. Rutgers, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State and Rutgers battled it out but while they did, the Wolverines increased their lead and developed open water by the midway point. U-M was strong all the way through the finish and crossed more than three seconds ahead of the second-place Hoosiers.

Up next for the Wolverines is the NCAA Championships in two weekends (May 31-June 2) in Bethel, Ohio, on East Fork/Harsha Lake. As Big Ten champions, the Maize and Blue are automatic qualifiers for their 16th straight postseason.

Results

Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN — 189 points
2. Indiana — 144
3. Rutgers — 137
4. Ohio State — 121
5. Minnesota — 87
6. Wisconsin — 70
7. Michigan State — 62
8. Iowa — 54

First Varsity Eight
1. MICHIGAN — 6:17.859
2. Indiana — 6:18.879
3. Ohio State — 6:20.306
4. Rutgers — 6:21.029
5. Minnesota — 6:31.818
6. Michigan State — 6:33.221
7. Wisconsin — 6:34.736
8. Iowa — 6:35.576

Second Varsity Eight
1. MICHIGAN — 6:15.038
2. Rutgers — 6:19.616
3. Indiana — 6:22.677
4. Wisconsin –6:27.726
5. Minnesota — 6:33.997
6. Michigan State — 6:36.510
7. Ohio State — 6:39.432
8. Iowa — 6:39.682

First Varsity Four
1. MICHIGAN — 7:00.649
2. Ohio State — 7:03.416
3. Rutgers — 7:07.813
4. Indiana — 7:11.529
5. Iowa — 7:23.880
6. Wisconsin — 7:26.972
7. Michigan State — 7:31.053
8. Wisconsin — 7:32.411

Second Varsity Four
1. Ohio State — 7:07.616
2. MICHIGAN — 7:12.120
3. Indiana — 7:12.361
4. Rutgers — 7:13.857
5. Iowa — 7:20.764
6. Minnesota — 7:27.970
7. Wisconsin — 7:32.978
8. Michigan State — 7:41.010

Third Varsity Four
1. Rutgers — 7:15.358
2. MICHIGAN — 7:18.949
3. Ohio State — 7:21.371
4. Wisconsin — 7:22.430
5. Iowa — 7:38.360
6. Indiana — 7:46.555
7. Michigan State — 7:47.559
8. Minnesota — 8:02.597

First Novice Eight
1. MICHIGAN — 6:42.437
2. Indiana — 6:45.530
3. Minnesota — 6:47.488
4. Rutgers — 6:48.448
5. Iowa — 6:51.704
6. Ohio State — 6:51.906
7. Michigan State — 6:57.042
8. Wisconsin — 7:00.474

Second Novice Eight
1. MICHIGAN — 6:46.798
2. Iowa — 6:49.510
3. Ohio State — 6:52.076
4. Minnesota — 6:55.263
5. Rutgers — 6:58.500
6. Michigan State — 7:02.213
7. Wisconsin — 7:06.714
8. Indiana — 8:41.811

Michigan Lineup

1V8: Logan Roeder (coxswain), Katie Easton, Jana Peachey, Annaka Draaisma, Zara Collisson, Adelaide Lammers, Aubrey Fitts, Autumn Crowe, Sarah McKay

2V8: Rocky Morabito (coxswain), Sara Houben, Gracie Landefeld, Madeleine Lauriault, Amy Newton, Brooke Gietzen, Ariana Shokoohi, Abby Hathaway, Anna Muench

1V4: Madeson Scott, Gabbie Graves, Carla Russell, Emily Nelson, Lillie Gregory (coxswain)

2V4: Emma Kerkau, Rachel Palaian, Ashley Mitchell, Maddy Matos, Breonna Boyd (coxswain)

3V4: Delaney Evans, Leah Miller, Olivia Hemker, Maddy Tay, Brigid Wagner (coxswain)

1N8: Elly Van Den Einde (coxswain), Gretel Ham, Zara Bongiorno, Megan Higley, Halle Loveday, Sophie Snyder, Solvej Berman, Annabella Harold, Nicole Wrubel

2N8: Rumaysa Siddiqi (coxswain), Zoe Simmons, Eliza Harris, Cameren Beattie, Grace Wininger, Annabelle Minneman, Stella Wickstrom, Ava Conklin, Georgia Meyer