Duke Rowing had a successful weekend at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship. Traveling to Oak Ridge Tennessee, the Duke women joined 58 schools nationwide, some of which were men's teams. Duke raced six boats, pulling in several top finishes.
The second novice-eight boat won its race, knocking out rival North Carolina. Also claiming first was the junior varsity-four boat. The first novice-eight boat and the varsity-pairs boat also claimed second-place finishes, while the varsity-four and the varsity-eight boats each took fourth.
Facing teams such as Tulsa, Kansas State, UNC and 17th-ranked Clemson, the Blue Devils had an excellent chance to prepare for next week's ACC Championships. That regatta will be hosted by the Tigers in Clemson, S.C.
"Whereas last year everyone had a clear picture of where they stood, this year we have no idea how we will match up," rower Joanna Hingle said of the upcoming conference race. "The races should be very close."
The biggest threat in the ACC will be nationally ranked Clemson, which won the Grand Final Varsity Eight this past weekend at the Southern Intercollegiates. Beyond Clemson, ACC rowing is neck-and-neck.
After the ACCs, the Blue Devils will head to the Central South Regionals May 12-13 and then to the NCAA Championships May 26-27 in Gainesville, Ga.
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