April 4, 2008

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Rowing team competes on the Black Warrior for the final time this season, taking on Creighton Saturday morning starting with the First Varsity 8+ race at 9 a.m. The Crimson Tide will also be celebrating Senior Day, honoring its five-member senior class of Sarah Beaver, Bryn Crawford, McKenna Frease, Leigh Ann Lazarus and Margaret Strojny.

"Saturday will be our last home race of the season and it will be Senior Day," head coach Larry Davis said. "Our seniors, there are five that we'll be honoring on Saturday, have been a big part of our success, staring with the transition from a club to NCAA varsity program through our first two seasons, We're looking to give them a good sendoff and they'll obviously have to be a big part of our performance."

Alabama won six of seven races against Creighton last season on Carter Lake in Omaha, Neb. The Tide wants to better their winning percentage against the Bluejays by turning in a clean sweep.

"Anytime we go into a home race one of our goals is to out-perform the other team in every race that we have," Davis said. "It will be tough. We weren't able to accomplish that against Creighton last year, but I believe we're a better team than we were a year ago and it's certainly something that we're shooting for. If we row the way we're capable of, it's something that's very doable."

Races start with First Varsity 8+ at 9 a.m. followed by the Novice 8+ at 9:20 a.m. and the Second Varsity 8+ at 9:40 p.m. Following a short break in the action the first flight of the Varsity 4+ will go off at 10:20 a.m. then the Novice 4+ at 10:40 a.m. After another break, the meet will conclude with the second flight of the Varsity 4+ race at 11:20 p.m. The Tide will recognize its seniors after the races at 11:45 a.m. at River Road Park East.

"This meet will lead us into the championships phase of our season," Davis said. "We have this weekend's race and then a final dual meet at Murray State, and then we head to the Southern Rowing Championships. We'll be seeing some of the crews that will go on to the NCAA Championships. So by the middle of April we want to be up to our top speed."

Alabama's First Varsity 8+ broke the seven minute mark last week, a time it didn't better until the end of April last season. Davis and company's goal going forward is to drop another six to nine seconds before the end of the season.

Fans can watch the races at several vantage points along the Black Warrior, but the best location is the River Road Park East, which sits near the finish line for Saturday's races. With its multi-tiered slope down to the edge of the river, the park is a natural `stadium' for the Crimson Tide. There will be music and giveaways at that location.

--UA--