USC Women's Rowing Wins Two out of Three Races Against San Diego State

LOS ANGELES--The No. 16 ranked USC women's rowing team won two-out-of-three races against San Diego State in the Trojans' first official dual of the season today (Mar. 20) at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif. This will be USC's last dual with the Aztecs as they will be discontinuing their women's rowing program going into the 2021-22 academic year. 
 
"We want to thank San Diego State for coming up to race us today," said head coach Josh Adam. "Coach Zack and his staff have done a great job keeping their team motivated through a challenging year. There were some true 'Fight On' spirit in our boats this morning. Injuries have plagued us this season, and we put our lineups together this week with student-athletes who have had four to six weeks of intensive rehab. Our sports medicine team has done an outstanding job of ensuring we had a team ready to race this season. I can't thank them enough.
 
The 2V8 pulled out an extremely exciting victory in the last couple hundred meters. It's races like that which are so fun to watch and coach. We will get a few more women back from the injured reserve list next week as we prepare for our first opportunity to race UCLA. It feels so great to be racing again."
 
For a list of boatings and final times, see below. 
 
This morning there were varying 6-8 mph headwinds and a subtle incoming tide in the Port of Los Angeles. There was a significant cross current from the LA River which resulted in slow conditions. 
 
The Varsity 8 hit the water first and defeated San Diego State's boat by a decisive 10 seconds. USC's final time was 07:10.00, while San Diego State's was 07:20.07. 
 
The Second Varsity 8 race was close, but the Trojans came out victorious with a final time of 07:33.49 to the Aztecs' 07:35.09. 
 
San Diego State prevailed in the final race of the day, the Varsity 4. The Aztecs clocked a 08:41.96 compared to USC's 08:56.20. 
 
Before the races began, the USC women's rowing program had a boat dedication ceremony and named two boats after two vital members of the Trojan Rowing Family. Boatman Doug Thiemann and Associate Athletic Director and longtime Sport Administrator Hatcher Parnell each had a boat named on their behalf. 
 
"When we thought about naming these two boats, two people who have contributed so much to this program came to mind: Hatcher Parnell and Doug Thiemann," said Adam. "We literally would not be doing our sport without these two men. Our student-athletes will have a daily reminder of the dedication that the USC Athletic Department contributes their success. I'm so pleased to have The Hatch and The Doug in the boathouse."
 
"It is an incredible honor to be a part of the USC tradition," said Parnell. "This surprise honor brought tears to my eyes. It is a pleasure serving our student-athletes! Fight On!"
 
"I am feeling honored and full of Trojan pride after this wonderful surprise," said Thiemann. "I'm reflecting on how long I have been driving USC boats around – officially 13 years, but unofficially 25 years. I'm proud to be a member of this program. Fight On!" 
 
Up next, the USC Trojans will prepare to face off against crosstown rival,  No. 20 UCLA. This will be the first of two duals for the two Los Angeles based crews. The Trojans hold an undefeated record of 18-0 against the Bruins. 
 

USC-San Diego State Dual
Port of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Calif.
Saturday, March 20, 2021

RESULTS and BOATINGS