No. 1 Rowing’s I Eight repeats as Big 12 Boat of the Week

IRVING, TX- Texas Rowing’s first varsity eight No. 1 was named Big 12 Boat of the Week for the second straight year and third time this season, the conference announced Wednesday. The Longhorns received the weekly award after a dominating performance at Saturday’s Longhorn Invite at the Walter E. Long Lake in Austin. Texas has won or earned a share of the Big 12 weekly honor in each of the four weeks that a UT boat was eligible this season.

In a field that included No. 10 Ohio State, No. 14 Virginia, No. 16 SMU and a strong UCLA squad, the Texas First Varsity Eight pulled off a 12-second win. Riding flat water with 2-3 mph crosswinds and no tailwind, the Texas I Eight posted an impressive 6:10.269 to lead Ohio State (6:22.353) and SMU (6:22.441). The Longhorns led throughout the race, taking an early lead for the first 250 meters of the 2,000 meter course and increasing the lead by the end of the race.

The Texas First Eight featured junior helmsman Rachel Raneas well as seniors Kailin MesseronSenior Francesca RaggiSenior Aspa ChristodoulidisSenior Etta Tischlersecond grader Anna JensenSenior Susanna TemmingJunior Sophia Calabrese and Redshirt Senior Lisa Gutfleisch.

Texas’ First Eight is unbeaten in seven races this season and has won 15 straight races dating back to the start of last season.

The First Eight’s win was part of a dominant weekend for UT as they won five races at the Longhorn Invite and cemented their position at the top of the national rankings. For the first time in the program’s history, Texas received all 25 first place votes in the Pocock Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Women’s Rowing Poll. Stanford is second in the poll and Yale is third. Princeton and Brown round out the top five in fourth and fifth.

The Longhorns will be back on the water Sunday, May 15 when they host the Big 12 Championship at Walter E. Long Lake. Texas has won six consecutive Big 12 Conference Champions crowns and won 10 of the 12 Big 12 Conference championships, finishing second in 2013 and fourth in 2014. The championship race will consist of Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and West Virginia and will feature conference entrants #20 Tennessee and RV Alabama.

2022 Longhorn Invitation Results:

First varsity eight

1. TEXAS-6:10.269
2. Ohio State – 6:22.353
3. SMU-6:22.441
4. Virginia-6:28.918
5.UCLA-6:32.196

2022 Big 12 Conference Boat of the Week
March 23: Tennessee 1V8

March 30: Texas 3V8 and Tennessee 1V8
April 6: Tennessee 1V8

April 13: Texas 1V8
April 20: Tennessee 1V8

April 27: Texas 1V8
May 4: Texas 1V8

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