Duke Performs Well in First NCAA Championships

Friday, May 27

Sacramento, Calif.

All Day

Duke University

Day One at NCAA Championship

Duke Performs Well in First NCAA Championships

5/27/2016 9:09:00 PM | Rowing

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By: Duke Sports Information

GOLD RIVER, Calif. – For the first time in program history, Duke rowing took part in the NCAA Championships on Friday at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center and earned three spots in the C/D semifinals, narrowly missing out on the A/B semifinals.

The top two crews from each first round heat on Friday automatically advanced to the A/B semifinals. Then, the top two crews in each repechage (second chance heat) earned placement in the A/B semifinals, while the remaining crews were slotted in C/D semifinals. Duke finished third in all three of its repechage heats.

The Blue Devils began competition in heat three of the V8 on Friday and placed fourth with a time of 6:41.924. Ohio State, seeded third, took the heat in 6:19.189 while sixth-seeded Brown placed second in 6:23.876. Wisconsin (6:29.524), seeded 11th, was the final team to finish above 14th-seeded Duke, which topped UCF (6:46.269) and Jacksonville (7:14.901).

Duke continued in the third heat of the 2V8 as it took third in 6:41.534. The three-seed Buckeyes (6:28.753) won the heat while No. 6 Princeton placed second (6:37.191). The 11th-seeded Blue Devils held off No. 14 Michigan (6:43.168), Navy (7:10.746) and Jacksonville (7:33.033).

Finishing off the opening heats was the V4 in the fourth heat as it took third, behind only No. 4 Washington (7:18.986) and No. 5 Ohio State (7:22.521). The 12th-seeded Blue Devils turned in a 7:36.736 mark to finish just ahead of No. 13 Southern California (7:38.718). Rounding out the heat were Rhode Island (8:02.674) and UCF (8:06.654).

With no crews automatically qualifying for the A/B semifinals, all three boats raced again in the evening repechage heats, beginning again with the V8. The Blue Devils used a late charge to finish in third, just one place out of the A/B semifinals on Saturday. Duke clocked a 6:32.143, nearly 10 seconds faster than its morning mark. No. 12 Washington (6:23.947) and No. 16 Syracuse (6:27.139) came away with the A/B semifinal trips while the Blue Devils edged past No. 10 Yale (6:33.087), which finished fourth. Northeastern (6:37.604), UCF (6:40.324) and Navy (7:01.587) finished the heat.

The 2V8 came inches away from the A/B semifinals, holding second place for the majority of its repechage before No. 12 Washington State slipped away with second place. The Blue Devils were in second at the halfway point, leading Washington State 3:20.116 to 3:20.256. Duke extended the lead against the Cougars at 1,500 meters, 5:00.706 to 5:01.716. In the last 500 meters, however, WSU charged hard and overtook Duke, 6:39.451 to 6:40.045. No. 9 Wisconsin took the heat in 6:39.069. Wrapping up the race were No. 15 Gonzaga (6:47.967), No. 17 Southern California (6:50.132), Rhode Island (7:07.191) and Jacksonville (7:25.041).

Rounding out the day was the V4 in its repechage, as it also took third place. The Blue Devils were passed by 16-seed Indiana (7:30.225) and six-seed Princeton (7:31.518) and finished in 7:39.582. The 15th-seed Cougars placed fourth (7:46.049), followed by No. 18 Northeastern (7:54.423), Rhode Island (8:15.770) and Jacksonville (8:30.057).

Duke will return to the water Saturday with the C/D semifinals for the V8, 2V8 and V4. Duke's V8 will race at 11:24 a.m. ET in the second semifinal, the 2V8 at 12 noon in the first semifinal and the V4 at 1:00 p.m. in the second semifinal.

2016 NCAA Championships Duke Results
May 27-29
Lake Natoma | Sacramento State Aquatics Center
Gold River, Calif.

Friday Session
NCAA Women's Division I V8 Preliminaries, Heat 3
1.   Ohio State - 6:19.189
2.   Brown - 6:23.876
3.   Wisconsin - 6:29.524
4.   Duke - 6:41.924 (Meagan Lew, Katherine Maitland, Karley Whelan, Isabel Ruby-Hill, Jessica Findlay, Alex Stonehill, Katie Dukovich, Meridith Kisting and Celia Macrae)
5.   UCF - 6:46.269
6.   Jacksonville - 7:14.901

NCAA Women's Division I 2V8 Preliminaries, Heat 3
1.   Ohio State - 6:28.753
2.   Princeton - 6:37.191
3.   Duke - 6:41.534 (Simone Pitre, Megan Conroy,  Lauren Miranda, Shannon Tierney, Sophie Simister, Julia Weber, Phoebe Donovan, Hannah Hewitt and Elizabeth Horne)
4.   Michigan - 6:43.168
5.   Navy - 7:10.746
6.   Jacksonville - 7:33.033

NCAA Women's Division I V4 Preliminaries, Heat 4
1.   Washington - 7:18.986
2.   Ohio State - 7:22.521
3.   Duke - 7:36.736 (Sarah Wall, Mary Wilson, Sarah Fletcher, Marissa Donadio and Rhea Bergman)
4.   Southern California - 7:38.718
5.   Rhode Island - 8:02.674
6.   UCF - 8:06.654

NCAA Women's Division I V8 Repechage, Heat 2
1.   Washington - 6:23.947
2.   Syracuse - 6:27.139
3.   Duke - 6:32.143 (Meagan Lew, Katherine Maitland, Karley Whelan, Isabel Ruby-Hill, Jessica Findlay, Alex Stonehill, Katie Dukovich, Meridith Kisting and Celia Macrae)
4.   Yale - 6:33.087
5.   Northeastern - 6:37.604
6.   UCF - 6:40.324
7.   Navy - 7:01.587

NCAA Women's Division I 2V8 Repechage, Heat 1
1.   Wisconsin - 6:39.069
2.   Washington State - 6:39.451
3.   Duke - 6:40.045 (Simone Pitre, Megan Conroy,  Lauren Miranda, Shannon Tierney, Sophie Simister, Julia Weber, Phoebe Donovan, Hannah Hewitt and Elizabeth Horne)
4.   Gonzaga - 6:47.967
5.   Southern California - 6:50.132
6.   Rhode Island - 7:07.191
7.   Jacksonville - 7:25.041

NCAA Women's Division I V4 Repechage, Heat 2
4.   Indiana - 7:30.225
2.   Princeton - 7:31.518
3.   Duke - 7:39.582 (Sarah Wall, Mary Wilson, Sarah Fletcher, Marissa Donadio and Rhea Bergman)
4.   Washington State - 7:46.049
5.   Northeastern - 7:54.423
6.   Rhode Island - 8:15.770
7.   Jacksonville - 8:30.057