April 18, 2010
Lake Natoma Invitational Sunday Results via TwitterGOLD RIVER, Calif. - The No. 3 Stanford women's rowing team completed action at the Lake Natoma Invitational Sunday morning, finishing second in the final "A" group. The Cardinal came out of the three races with 11 points, behind California (18) but ahead of fellow Pac-10 rival Washington State (seven).
Stanford was grouped in the "A" flight with California and Washington State, the two schools that, along with the Cardinal, rounded out the top three in points from Saturday's competition. California led after Saturday with 36 points while Stanford and Washington State each accumulated 32 points.
Races were scored in the NCAA Championship format, with the Fours races scored in a 3-2-1 fashion, the II Eights in a 6-4-2 format and the I Eights in a 9-6-3 format.
The Fours got things started Sunday. California led the race from the start, with Stanford in a solid second through the first 1000 meters. Washington State overtook the Cardinal at the 1,250-meter mark. Stanford finished third in the race with a time of 7:38.23. California won the class, and the three points, with a winning time of 7:25.31.
Next up were the II Eights, which saw the Cardinal fight its way to a second-place finish, once again behind California, which crossed the line in 6:35.50, 5.48 seconds ahead of Stanford. The Cardinal battled side by side with Washington State down the entire course, overtaking them in the sprint to win by .83 of a second.
In the day's main event, the I Eights squared off in what many would consider a Pac-10 Championship and even NCAA Championship preview. California and Stanford were dead level off the start, before California pulled ahead in the second 500. California would end up in front in its third straight race, turning in a time of 6:24.78, while Stanford crossed the line in 6:30.68. Washington State would come in third with a time of 6:36.34.
"This was truly an inspirational weekend for us," noted Stanford women's head coach Yasmin Farooq. "We had an opportunity to see a number of people in new roles and everybody on the entire team rose to the occasion. I am extremely proud of the performance of all three of our boats. They showed that they are a cohesive team that understands how to step up under pressure."
The Cardinal will get another crack at the Golden Bears when it returns to the water in two weeks for The Big Row at Redwood Shores on Saturday, May 1.
The Cardinal will get another crack at the Golden Bears when it returns to the water in two weeks for The Big Row at Redwood Shores on Saturday, May 1.
Fours
California - 7:25.31
Washington State - 7:30.67
Stanford - 7:38.23
II Eights
California - 6:35.50
Stanford - 6:40.98
Washington State - 6:41.81
I Eights
California - 6:24.78
Stanford - 6:30.68
Washington State - 6:36.34
Points Standings
California - 18
Stanford - 11
Washington State - 7