MANHATTAN, Kan. – After strong performances throughout the season, the Kansas State women’s rowing team heads back east as it prepares to compete at the Big 12 Championships at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on May 14-15.
“I am looking forward to this weekend because the pressure is off of the girls,” head coach Patrick Sweeney said. “The one time we have had good water they have performed well. That was here in Tennessee. When they get a chance to row consistently, they are moving well.”
K-State will look to post its third-straight top-three performance at Big 12s after the Wildcats finish in third place last season. The meet will consist of five scored races – 1st Varsity 8, 2nd Varsity 8, 3rd Varsity 8, 1st Varsity 4 and 2nd Varsity 4 – against its fellow conference foes.
The Wildcats tallied 89 points, finishing 18 points behind runner-up Oklahoma (107), while Texas took home the 2015 title. K-State also saw medal performances by the 1st Varsity 8 and the 2nd Varsity 8.
The Wildcats are very familiar with Melton Hill Lake as the team competed there in April at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships (SIRAs). At that race, K-State saw all five of its boats medal, including gold medal performances by its 1V8, 2V8 and 1N8. The 2V4 took silver at the race, while the 1V4 claimed the bronze medal.
A lack of water time has hindered a lot of what the team has tried to do this year and rough water played a factor in the team’s loss to Kansas two weekends ago at the Sunflower Showdown. However, the team has been able to get on the water consistently heading into the conference meet, something Sweeney believes has been very beneficial.
“We actually got on the water consecutively last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, something which we have not done all year. Those three days were important to go out and you could feel improvement. Getting three days on the water, we saw improvement and we saw better form on Saturday.”
The team will look to all in this weekend and with no pressure, Sweeney expects the team to be extremely competitive.
“If we get good water this weekend we can really go for it,” Sweeney added. “We have nothing to lose because no one is expecting them to do well and I think that they can. I think we might upset a few people.”
Big 12 Championships
Melton Hill Lake
Oak Ridge, Tenn.