Kansas caps off fall season in Tulsa
CATOOSA, Okla. – Kansas rowing capped off its fall season with nine top-five finishes, including a top mark in the Novice Four race, at the Tulsa Fall Invitational on the Verdigris River in Catoosa, Oklahoma.
During the two-day event, the Jayhawks entered 20 boats in six races against Tulsa, SMU and Central Oklahoma.
“It was a good couple of days,” said interim head coach Carrie Cook-Callen. “We definitely made some improvements over our performances and technical application. Our work here doesn’t end and we look forward to the next few months.”
KU finished the invitational with a top mark in the Novice Four race, the final event of the weekend. Kansas B edged Tulsa A by 1.2 seconds to bring home the first place medal. Kansas B made its way down the race course in 21:03.3.
“I am really proud of how we did,” said freshman Heidi Burns. “Coming off the (Jayhawk) Jamboree we really focused on timing together and I think we executed really well today.”
The first and largest race on Friday included five Varsity Four boats from the Jayhawks. Kansas had two top-five finishes with Kansas B coming in third place and clocked in at 18:33.5, while Kansas A crossed the finished line next with a time of 18:42.5.
“We need to add on to all the great technical changes we’ve made this fall to come out stronger in the spring,” said senior BriAnna Dittberner.
The Jayhawks’ first novice race of the weekend was the Novice Eights. All three entries in the event were Crimson and Blue boats, as KU raced against the clock and really focused on improving their technical applications in a competition setting.
The last two races of the first day were the pairs and doubles. Senior Kaelyn Thierolf and redshirt junior Meghan Karoly made up KU’s top pair team, taking third place with a time of 20:41.6. Kansas’ only double included Moira Frakes and Michaela Theis, finishing in 23:32.0.
The Varsity Eight race kicked off the second day of competition. The First Varsity Eight, Wave the Wheat, finished third against 12 other boats with a time of 16:44.5. The Second and Third Varsity Eight placed sixth and seventh, finishing in 17:09.0 and 17:29.3, respectively.
Up Next
Kansas kicks off the spring season with a scrimmage against Tulsa on March 9-10 on the Verdigris River in Catoosa, Oklahoma.
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