May 8, 2008

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - The Alabama Rowing team closes out the 2008 season this weekend at the 70th Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pa.

The largest collegiate regatta in the United States, the Dad Vail Regatta has over 100 colleges and universities from the U.S. and Canada competing in the event. The Crimson Tide has three Varsity and two Novice boats set to compete starting Friday, May 9.

"From the way we've practiced coming into this event, I believe that the ladies are confident and they believe they can be successful at this level and that will go a long way for us," Alabama head coach Larry Davis said.

The quality of competition will be on par with what Alabama saw at the recent Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Championships where the Tide finished second overall among women's programs. The difference with the Dad Vails is the quantity of that quality

"We were fifth coming into SIRA and we rose above the seedings with four of our five boats making it to Grand Finals and the First Varsity 8+ earning a silver medal," Davis said. "Those kind of performances give us a lot of confidence going into the Dad Vails where we'll see I'd say eight to 10 crews that are ranked ahead of us.

"It will be the kind of racing we saw at SIRA where it will be neck and neck all the way down the course and we'll have to be strong and race with confidence," Davis said. "If we do that, then we have a chance to accomplish something special."

Alabama's First Varsity 8+ is comprised of coxswain Bailey Sanders and rowers Bryn Crawford, McKenna Frease, Victoria Croy, Nikki Lopez, Cara Allison, Marge Strojny, Stacey Ogle and Leigh Ann Lazarus.

The Tide's Second Varsity 8+, which won the Petite Final at SIRA, is made up of coxswain Cathryn Whitlock along with Sarah Witt, Katie Spohr, Tacoma Morrissey, Jess Autrey, Katie Tippey, Jessy Scivley, Sarah Beaver and Rachel Justiss. The Varsity 4+ consists of Mary Vlasis in the coxswain's spot and Jamie Ravenna, Courtney Lewellan, Chelsea Collins and Helen Barnes filling out the boat.

Amy Allison, Laura Skaggs, Ebony Smith, Daniella Barone, Amelia Houghton, Shana Young, Kristy Bearden, Lauren Hovey and Sara Leibold make up the Tide's Novice 8+ while Alyssa Dinberg, Katie Smith, Lauren Miller, Camille Campbell and Rachel Roberts fill out the Novice 4+. Both Novice boats made the Grand Finals at the SIRA Championships.

Last season the Tide sent four boats to the Dad Vails, advancing to the semi-finals in all four events it entered. The preliminary and semi-final rounds of the races are on Friday while finals roll around on Saturday.