Top-ranked UW start strong at crew nationals
Published 10:10 pm Thursday, May 31, 2012
CHERRY HILL, N.J. — All five of Washington’s crews won their heats Thursday to make the semifinals of the men’s Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.
The Huskies showed why they are ranked No. 1 in the nation with a series of powerful performances on the Cooper River’s 2,000-meter course.
UW’s flagship varsity eight boat has won each of its races by open water this season, and it dominated again Thursday. Coxed by Sam Ojserkis and stroked by Dusan Milovanovic, the Huskies kept Princeton at bay and finished with a winning time of 5:45.84, the fastest of the day by any of the varsity eight boats.
The Huskies’ second varsity eight rowed to an open-water win over second-place Brown. UW’s time of 5:50.41 was the fastest of any of the 16 competing 2V8 crews, and was five seconds ahead of Brown. The UW freshmen won their heat with a time of 5:54.51 and the varsity four won with a time of 6:37.99, almost six seconds faster than No. 2 Brown.
The only time the Huskies trailed came in the open four, but UW made up an open-water deficit at the midway point to overtake Wisconsin and post a razor-thin victory over the Badgers (6:23.18 to 6:23.72).
