May 31, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS -- With winds reaching 32 MPH the second day of the 2003 NCAA Rowing Championships was completed with Colby College capturing the Division III National Championships in both the Varsity Eights competition and the team competition. The day continued to remain exciting as Harvard University placed all three of its boats in the Grand Finals of Sunday's competition. Defending National Champions, Brown University, was unable to advance to the Grand Finals of the Varsity Eights as they placed fourth in the second semifinals race to third place Stanford, second place Washington, and first place Harvard.
The Division I Fours Repechage race was a battle to the finish line with Harvard and Ohio State claiming the top two spots, moving on to Sunday's Grand Finals. Harvard finished in 7:17.44 and Ohio State rowed in at 7:18.85. In the second Fours Repechage Yale and Michigan earned spots in the Grand Finals after finishing first and second, respectively, in times of 7:16.28 and 7:17.43. The latter teams will join the University at California at Berkeley and Brown in the Grand Finals. Virginia, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Washington, Washington State and Michigan State will be competing in the Petite Finals.
Brown University and the University of California at Berkeley earned a spot in the Grand Finals of the Division I Second Varsity Eights competition after finishing first in Friday's heats. In today's first Repechage race, Princeton (6:29.98) and Harvard (6:31.03) earned a spot in the Grand Finals after finishing first and second, respectively. In the second Repechage the University of Washington was victorious rowing across the finish line in 6:30.80 and Ohio State took second in 6:31.97. Both teams will advance to the Grand Finals. The remaining teams of Virginia, Washington State, Michigan State, Michigan, Yale and Stanford will all be competing for the Petite Final Championship.
The two semifinal events of the Division I Varsity Eights proved to be the closest races of the day. Three teams from each semifinal would advance to the Grand Finals. In the first of the two races Michigan took first crossing the finish line in 6:19.29. Virginia finished second in 6:20.11 and the University of Southern California claimed the third spot in the Grand Finals clocking a time of 6:21.28.
 Sunday will wrap up the 2003 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships with the crowning of the 2003 NCAA Champion in Division I and Division II at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis.  | |
In the second semifinal race only .78 seconds divided the top three spots. Harvard finished first, becoming the only team in this year's championship to advance all three boats to all of the Grand Finals. The University of Washington, who captured last year's Varsity Eights title, placed second in 6:20.70 and Stanford finished third in a time of 6:20.83. Princeton, Ohio State, the University of California at Berkeley, Brown, Texas and Yale all move on to the Petite Finals, which will take place on Sunday.
Sunday will wrap up the 2003 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships with the crowning of the 2003 NCAA Champion in Division I and Division II at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. The first race will begin at 9:45 a.m.