Rowing to Kick Off Spring Competition at Alabama

Rowing at Alabama
Date	Saturday, March 4 \| 10 a.m.
Venue	Tuscaloosa, Ala. \| Black Warrior River
Twitter	@EMURowing \| @EMUAthletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University rowing team will open up spring competition against the University of Alabama Saturday, March 4, on the Black Warrior River. The contest is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET).

NEW YEAR, NEW DIGS: Eastern Michigan unveiled a newly renovated erg room inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center this past offseason. Eagle rowers now have access to usable training space that is three times larger than the old space. Additionally, the room can now fit more than 70 ergs and 20 stationary bikes.

FOG ON FORD LAKE: EMU planned to conclude its 2022 fall season by hosting Adrian College, Oct. 29. The race would have been the program's first fall event at home in 13 years but was canceled due to dense fog.

EAGLES ON THE EAST COAST: Eastern Michigan opened up its official fall schedule, Oct. 22, at the Head of the Charles Regatta on the Charles River in Boston, Mass. The Eagles' women's club eight squad finished 17th out of 40 boats with a time of 17:16.227. Conference opponent Drexel University took first place with a time of 16:27.976. Although the Green and White dropped one spot from its 16th place finish last year at the regatta, EMU topped its previous time of 17:27.616 by more than 10 seconds.

LAST FALL: The Green and White raced in three different fall scrimmages. On Sept. 11, Eastern Michigan faced off with the University of Michigan in Belleville, Mich. then traveled to Lake Mendota, Wis. and raced the University of Wisconsin, Sept. 24. The Eagles finished off their preseason races against Michigan State University, Oct. 9, on the Grand River in East Lansing, Mich.

RETURNING TO THE RIGGER: Five of the nine members from the First Varsity Eight boat who took bronze at the CAA Championships are returning to the water for the Eagles this season, including junior Abby Goodwin (Whitehouse, Ohio-Anthony Wayne), graduate student Chloe Hinojosa (Kewanee, Ill.-Kewanee), junior Laura Borchers (Troy, Ohio-Troy), sophomore Lily Wilhelm (Noblesville, Ind.-Noblesville-Butler), and junior Reagan Fazekas (Hillsdale, Mich.-Hanover-Horton). Graduate students Caitlin Claypool (Hopkins, Mich.-Hopkins) and Lauren Ahern (Farmington Hills, Mich.-Walled Lake Western) remain on the roster again for Eagles this season.
Hinojosa returns as one of the most decorated rowers on the team after she earned an All-CAA distinction at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships last season.

NEW FACES: Head Coach Kemp Savage announced the Eastern Michigan rowing team signed four experienced rowers and two talent-transfer athletes to the Class of 2023 in August. Joining Eastern as veterans of the sport are Ainsley Dean (Lewis Center, Ohio-Olentangy Orange), Emily MacIntyre (Wyandotte, Mich.- Theodore Roosevelt), Maggie Mueller (Crystal Lake, Ill.- Crystal Lake South) and Quinn Yesford (Beamsville, Ontario-Blessed Trinity Catholic). Phoebe Bissen (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.-Sturgeon Bay) and Delani Fisher (Ellettsville, Ind.-Bloomington North) round out the program's offseason signings. Thirteen more freshmen joined the team as novice rowers in September after open tryouts.

THIS SPRING: In the new year, Eastern Michigan will travel around the country to compete against top opponents and in renowned regattas. EMU will start the season in Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 4, to duel with the University of Alabama on the Black Warrior River. Then Eastern ventures to Cherry Hill, N.J. to take part in the day-long Doc Hosea Invitational. The Green and White returns to Boston the following weekend to race Boston College on Saturday. The Eagles will stay on the East Coast to compete for the Knecht Cup, a two-day regatta on Cooper River in Cherry Hill N.J. This year, the event will take place on April 15-16. Eastern will conclude the regular season with its sole home competition of the spring against the University of Dayton, April 29, at Ford Lake.

CHARGING TOWARD THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Last season, Eastern Michigan finished third at the CAA Championships last May 15 on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, N.J.. EMU's third place finish tied for the highest finish in program history as the team earned bronze in 2016 and 2019 as well. Additionally, the team tallied 26 points, the most ever for EMU at the CAA Championships. This year's conference championship will be held in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., May 12. The CAA champion will earn a bid to the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Pa, May 26-28.

EAGLES IN THE CLASSROOM: A total of 40 Eastern Michigan University rowers earned spots on the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll for the 2022 spring semester. Additionally, fifteen members of the team were named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar Athletes back in July.

CRIMSON TIDE TRADITION: The Eagles have spent their spring break in Tuscaloosa, Ala. nine times in the last 11. The only two seasons in which the Green and White did not face off against Alabama were in 2020 and 2015.

LAST TIME VS. ALABAMA: EMU began its 2022 spring season racing against No. 15-ranked University of Alabama, March 5, where four Eastern boats competed in three different races. In the first race of the day, Alabama's 3V8+ held off a late push from Eastern Michigan's 2V8+ to earn the win in 7:57.46, just over four seconds ahead of the Eagles' crew. The Crimson Tide swept the 4s race, with its 1V4+ boat leading the pack at 8:21.30. In the final race of the day, the Eagles' 1V8+ posted a time of 7:43.77.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will travel to Cherry Hill, N.J. for its next contest at the Doc Hosea Invitational, April 1.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lauren Ahern

Phoebe Bissen

Laura Borchers

Ainsley Dean

Reagan Fazekas

Delani Fisher

Abby Goodwin

Chloe Hinojosa

Emily MacIntyre

Maggie Mueller

Lily Wilhelm

Quinn Yesford

Eastern Michigan Athletics