Virginia Places 10th at 2023 NCAA Rowing Championship
The Virginia rowing team notched a 10th place finish in the team standings at the 2023 NCAA Rowing Championship this weekend at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey. The Cavaliers earned their fifth-consecutive top 10 finish at the NCAA Championship.
Each of UVA's three competing boats placed in the top three of their respective heats on Friday and advanced to the semifinals on Saturday. Virginia's Varsity Four defeated Brown and Michigan to win its heat, while both the Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight placed third to secure a spot in the semifinals.
On Saturday, the Virginia Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight both placed eighth in their respective races, sending them to the petite finals. Meanwhile, UVA's Varsity Four finished third in 7:10.87, just behind Texas and Princeton, to clinch a spot in the grand finals on Sunday.
On the final day of the regatta on Sunday, Virginia's Varsity Four placed fifth in the grand final with a time of 7:03.174, trailing Texas, Yale, Brown, and Stanford. UVA's Varsity Eight placed fifth in the petite final (11th overall) and the Second Varsity Eight placed fourth in the petite final (10th overall).
Virginia finished with 80 points in the team standings, edging Michigan by two points for a top 10 finish. Stanford won the grand finals for both the Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight and claimed the 2023 NCAA National Championship with 129 points. Washington was second with 120 points, followed by Princeton in third with 113 points.
2023 NCAA Rowing Championship - Final Team Standings
1. Stanford – 129
2. Washington – 120
3. Princeton – 113
4. Texas – 110
5. Yale – 110
6. Pennsylvania – 92
7. Brown – 91
8. California – 89
9. SMU – 85
10. Virginia – 80
11. Michigan – 78
12. Ohio State – 71
13. Syracuse – 67
14. Duke – 56
15. Rutgers – 54
“This was the fastest NCAA championship field ever,” Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer said after Sunday's regatta. “We were racing for a higher team finish than 10th but did not achieve our goal, even though every boat fought hard. We are very young, losing only three rowers and two coxswains from this NCAA squad. The future is bright but will take a commitment to training well over the summer.”
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