Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
George Mason Invite
Rowing Off to George Mason Invite
4/19/2024 5:06:00 PM | Women's Rowing
Eagles racing at GMU for second-straight season
FAIRFAX STATION, Va. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University rowing team is off to the George Mason Invite for competition Sunday, April 21, at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax Station, Va.
Racing will begin at 10 a.m. and run through approximately 2:30 p.m. The regatta will feature crews from Bucknell University, the University of Delaware, Duquesne University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Loyola (Md.) University, Robert Morris University, Saint Joseph's University, Villanova University, and West Virginia University.
SCHEDULE
10 a.m. – 2V4+ Heat 1
10:10 a.m. – 2V4+ Heat 2
10:20 a.m. – 3V8+ Heat
10:30 a.m. – V4+ Heat 1
10:40 a.m. – V4+ Heat 2
10:50 a.m. – 2V8+ Heat 1
11 a.m. – 2V8+ Heat 2
11:10 a.m. – V8+ Heat 1
11:20 a.m. – V8+ Heat 2
BREAK
1 p.m. – 2V4+ Petite Final
1:10 p.m. – 2V4+ Grand Final
1:20 p.m. – 3V8+ Grand Final
1:30 p.m. – V4+ Petite Final
1:40 p.m. – V4+ Grand Final
1:50 p.m. – 2V8+ Petite Final
2 p.m. – 2V8+ Grand Final
2:10 p.m. – V8+ Petite Final
2:20 p.m. – V8+ Grand Final
AT THE GEORGE MASON INVITE: The Eagles' 1V4 began the day with a fourth place finish in the second heat of the fours race. Their 9:18.6 performance advanced the boat to the afternoon's Petite Final where the Green and White topped the competition to cross the finish line first at 8:23.2 ahead of West Virginia University's 8:28.3 time. The 2V8 squad raced next, taking fifth at 8:16.1 in the second heat of the 2V8 field. EMU bettered its first time in the Petite Final later in the day, finishing third at 8:03.4 behind Coastal Athletic Association opponent Villanova University and the University of Dayton. The 1V8 competed in Eastern Michigan's final heat of the day with a fifth place, 7:24.1 finish. The squad went on to take fourth in their Petite Final with a time of 7:21.6.
WORLD-CLASS COURSE COMING TO FORD LAKE: Thanks to a ground-breaking partnership with Destination Ann Arbor, Marriott Eagle Crest, and Ypsilanti Charter Township, EMU is set to unveil a championship-level rowing course on Ford Lake. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the EMU Rowing Course at Ford Lake will take place Friday, April 26, 4 p.m. at Ford Lake Park.
LAST TIME OUT: AT THE KNECHT CUP: The Eagles' 1V4, 1V8, and 2V8 boats all dropped time compared to results from EMU's 2023 showing at the regatta while the 3V8 was the runner-up in its final. The 1V4 took fourth in Heat 4 by finishing the 2,000 meter race in 8:30.78, cutting 4.80 seconds off its 8:35.58 heat race time. The 1V8 cut about 25 seconds off its time from 2023 by finishing in 6:58.99, compared to last season's 7:23.92. The Eagles ended in fourth in Heat 5. The 2V8, which placed third in Heat 3, had the eighth-fastest time of the 22 boats in the event but fell two spots short of advancing to the final as its 7:08.05 time was 5.34 seconds shy of Jacksonville University's boat, which took the last spot in the final. EMU topped Coastal Athletic Association-foe Villanova University by 6.72 seconds in the heat race. The 2V8 also chopped significant time from 2023, improving by 24.19 seconds as the 2023 boat crossed in 7:32.24. The 3V8, which did not compete at the Knecht Cup in 2023, finished as the runner-up as its 7:41.38 finish was just 4.82 seconds off of first-place University of Wisconsin Lightweight. EMU edged CAA-member University of Connecticut by 1.68 seconds in the race.
CRIMSON TIDE TRADITION: The Eagles have spent their spring break in Tuscaloosa, Ala., 10 times in the last 12 seasons. The only two seasons in which the Green and White did not face off against Alabama were in 2015 and 2020 (COVID-19 Pandemic), respectively.
EAGLES ON THE EAST COAST: Eastern Michigan opened up its official fall schedule, Oct. 21, at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta on the Charles River in Boston, Mass. The Eagles' club eight squad finished 14th out of 40 boats with a time of 17:09.437, improving upon the team's 17:16.227 finish in 2022. In the Eagles' five V8+ races all-time at the Head of the Charles, 17:09.437 is the squad's fastest finish while EMU's 14th-place finish is its second-highest all-time (fifth in 2019 in 17:47.52).
LAST FALL: The Green and White raced in three different fall scrimmages. On Sept. 10, Eastern Michigan faced off with the University of Michigan in Belleville, Mich., then traveled to Lake Ovid in East Lansing, Mich., to take on Michigan State University, Oct. 14. The Eagles finished off their preseason races against the University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota, Nov. 4, on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wis.
RETURNING TO THE RIGGER: Five of the nine members from the First Varsity Eight boat who took seventh at the CAA Championships are returning to the water for the Eagles this season as seniors Laura Borchers (Troy, Ohio/Troy), Reagan Fazekas (Hillsdale, Mich./Hanover-Horton), Abby Goodwin (Whitehouse, Ohio/Anthony Wayne), and Abbey Simpson (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) and juniors Lily Wilhelm (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville-Butler) and Emma Wyss (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) remain on the roster for the Eagles this season.
Wilhelm returns as one of the most decorated rowers on the team after she earned an All-CAA distinction at the Coastal Athletic Association Championships last season.
ASSISTANT COACH PROMOTION: Head Coach Kemp Savage announced Stephanie Lamphear as an assistant coach in the fall as she previously served in a volunteer role. Savage, Lamphear, assistant coaches Delaney McGuire and Annie Cantu, and volunteer assistant coaches Haley Dutton and Kellie Savage make up the program's 2023-24 coaching staff.
THIS SPRING: In 2024, Eastern Michigan will travel around the country to compete against top opponents and in renowned regattas. EMU started the season in Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 2, dueling with the University of Alabama on the Black Warrior River. Then, Eastern ventured to Cherry Hill, N.J., to take part in the Knecht Cup, April 14. The Eagles will stay on the East Coast to compete at the George Mason Invite, April 21, before their lone home regatta against Dayton, April 28. The Eagles will take on conference foes at the Coastal Athletic Association Championships in Pennsauken, N.J., May 19.
CHARGING TOWARD THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Last season, Eastern Michigan finished seventh at the CAA Championships. This year's conference championship will be held in Pennsauken, N.J., May 19. The CAA champion will earn a bid to the NCAA Championships in Bethel, Ohio, May 30-June 2.
EAGLES IN THE CLASSROOM: A total of 46 Eastern Michigan rowers earned spots on the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll for the 2023 fall semester. Those with a 4.0 grade point average are recognized as High Honors with Distinction. Student-athletes with a GPA between 3.7 and 4.0 are recognized as High Honors. Student-athletes with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.7 are recognized as Honors. For the first time ever, the conference honored student-athletes for three different levels of achievement. The Eagles had 12 student-athletes earned High Honors with Distinction and 14 with High Honors.
ERG ROOM: Eastern Michigan unveiled a newly renovated erg room inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center during the 2022-23 academic year, making the 2023-24 offseason the first in which EMU was able to utilize the room for the entire 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.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will host the University of Dayton at Ford Lake in its next competition Sunday, April 28.
Follow Us
For more information on Eastern Michigan rowing, visit EMUEagles.com or follow the team's official Twitter at Twitter.com/EMURowing, on Facebook at Facebook.com/emurowing, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/emurowing.
Players Mentioned
