It could happen this weekend. On Wednesday, the UCLA rowing team
made the trip to West Windsor, N.J., with the intent to make good
on its at-large berth in the NCAA Championships. The 17th-ranked
Bruins received one of four at-large bids, which allows teams to
bring a Varsity Eight boat. This is the second year in a row that
UCLA has fielded a varsity team in the championships. And if the
Bruins have the race of their lives, they could win UCLA’s
100th national championship. “It’s always exciting (to
go to the championships),” coach Amy Fuller Kearney said.
“Last year was our first year and we were there with seven
walk-ons. We have a little more experience coming from the
high-school level. Everyone is thrilled with the opportunity (to
compete against) the best of the best in the country.” The
Pac-10 is well-represented in this year’s finals. In addition
to Stanford, Washington and Washington State, 2005 champion
California is also participating in the team competition. USC
received an at-large bid as well, but Fuller Kearney said that is
not a problem for the Bruins. “Our biggest competitor is our
own potential. I don’t think there’s a rivalry.
We’re just out there to race well,” she said. The
Bruins are hoping to improve drastically on their sixth-place
finish in the Pac-10 Championships two weeks ago. It was a rare
poor performance for UCLA, which had won 10 of its previous 14
races. The competition will last until Sunday, if all goes well.
Friday’s schedule features the qualifying heats for
Saturday’s semifinals.
TEFF AND LEE HONORED: On Monday, the Collegiate
Rowing Coaches Association honored freshman Vanessa Teff and junior
Elizabeth Lee. Teff was named to the CRCA All-West Region team,
becoming the first UCLA freshman to do so. Lee was named a National
Scholar Athlete for having a GPA higher than 3.5 and competing in
over 75% of the season’s races. “(Teff’s) a great
freshman. She deserves the recognition,” Fuller Kearney said.
“It’s a great thing for this program to have an athlete
recognized. But it’s a team sport. … We’re so proud
of the academics at UCLA, and we’re so proud of (Lee). When
someone can have a 3.5 GPA with a biology major ““ it shows
her determination.”