USC Rowing Finishes First Day at NCAA Championships

The No. 18 ranked USC women's rowing team completed its first day of competition at the 2022 NCAA Championships at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla. on Friday, May 27. The Trojan Varsity Four advanced to the A/B semifinal, while the Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight boats will each compete in their respective C/D semifinals. 

"Day one of the NCAA championships is a great test of faith and the ultimate gauge of speed," said head coach Josh Adam.  "The Women of Troy had some good races, and we learned a lot of lessons. Our 1V8 raced hard and had a good race for what speed we have right now. And our 2V8 had a little bobble, but we know they can fix it moving forward. Our 1V4 had an exciting race in the rep to edge themselves into the A/B semi. So, the stage is set for A/B and C/D semifinals. We are excited to test our fitness again in a fast field."
 
For a full list of boatings and times, see below.
 
In the first heat of the day, the Varsity Eight was locked in a tight battle. The Women of Troy finished in fifth place with a time of 06:29.563. The Trojan boat was four seconds behind Rutgers who clocked in with a 06:25.949 time.
 
In the repechage, USC had a strong start to the second round of racing. The Varsity Eight finished fourth with a time of 06:25.095. The Women of Troy followed third place team Oregon State who crossed the finish line at 06:19.815, six seconds head of the Trojans. The fourth place finish secured the USC's placement in the C/D semifinals.
 
The Second Varsity Eight was locked neck in neck with Oregon State, but ultimately the Trojan crew pushed ahead of Beavers to secure fourth place with a time of 06:38.613. Oregon State finished in fifth place with a time of 06:39.955. In the repechage, the Second Varsity Eight finished in fourth place with a time of 06:42.248 and advanced to the C/D semifinal. 
 
The Varsity Four had a strong start in the morning heat by finishing in third place with a 07:07.381 time. In the repechage, the Varisty Four had a stellar race and placed second behind Virginia, clocking in at 07:11.352 – six seconds behind the Cavaliers to lock in the crew's spot in the A/B semifinal. 
 
For more information on the NCAA Championships, click here.