Nov. 4, 2011

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama rowing team wraps up the fall portion of its season with two days of rowing at the Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tenn. starting Saturday.

"I think there are a couple of things we want to achieve this weekend," UA head coach Larry Davis said. "We've had a few people that have been out due to health issues get back in the lineup and a little bit stronger and we want to see how they impact how we perform as a team. The freshmen novice squad has had a little more time to get themselves at a level where they're ready to compete against some very good teams. There are several very good Division I teams that will be at the Head of the Hooch, as there always are. We want to see how we match up with that."

Prior to this weekend, the Crimson Tide last competed at the Head of the Charles in Cambridge, Mass., which showed Davis a lot about his team.

"The coxswains did a good job in both races and we're very pleased with how the team performed," Davis said. "They were very professional and it shows that we're making good progress."

The Head of the Hooch will be slightly different for the Tide this year. In the past, UA has only rowed the Saturday portion of the regatta, but this year they will both days. Davis said that this will give the crew the opportunity to try different combinations to get the best speeds.

"It's going to be our last race of the fall where we have a chance to see the kind of progress we've made and give us an idea of the things we may want to work on over the wintertime and get ourselves ready for the early spring," Davis said.

Last year at the Head of the Hooch, the Tide came away with two top-10 finishes and several top-20 finishes.