Kansas Rowing Heads to Big 12 Championship on Saturday
April 26, 2012
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas rowing will look to carry over its momentum from the Knecht Cup when the Jayhawks travel to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Championship on Saturday, April 28.
The Jayhawks are coming off wins in the grand final of the varsity and second varsity four races in Cherry Hill, N.J. It was by far the best weekend of competition of the 2011-12 season, as KU also finished third and fourth in the novice eight and second varsity eight, respectively.
KU will participate in six races on Saturday as the Jayhawks will be rowing against fellow Big 12 schools Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas.
The six races scheduled to take place include the first varsity eight, the second varsity eight, the first varsity four, the second varsity four, the third varsity eight and the fourth varsity eight. In all previous championships only five races were contested. Each team will compete in every race except Kansas State, which will not field a fourth varsity eight boat.
Kansas has yet to finish better than third through the first three years of the Big 12 Rowing Championship.
Teams score points for their finish in each race with the first and second varsity eight and the first varsity four races carrying significantly more weight than the other three.
This week, coaches voted on the seeding for the top three races, which in turn determines the lane assignments for the event. The highest seeded team received lane two, the second seed lane three, the third seed lane four and the fourth seed lane one. The other three race lane assignments were determined by a random draw. Lane assignments can change based on weather conditions on race day.
The Jayhawks will look to unseat the perennial power, Texas, who has won all three Big 12 Championship, since its inception in 2009. Last season KU finished fourth as Texas swept every event to easily win the championship.
KU will have a week off before the Jayhawks head to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Conference USA Championship on Saturday, May 12.