Murray State University Athletics
Racers To Compete At Prestigious Stonehurst Capital Invitational
10/9/2003 5:00:00 AM
The event, which is hosted by the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology, will be held on the Genesee River on Sunday, Oct. 12. MSU will compete in the 3-mile head race in the morning and the 1,500-meter sprint in the afternoon.
The event is headlined by Harvard University, the 2003 NCAA rowing national champion and the winners of the last four Elaine P. Wilson Cup titles, given to the champion of the Women's Open Eight Division at the Stonehurst.
"This is, without question, one of the most prestigious events in the nation because it's an invitation-only regatta," said first-year MSU head coach Bill McLean. "This should really open our athletes' eyes to just how good the competition is around the country, and it'll tell us exactly how far we have to go to reach our ultimate goal, which is to compete in the NCAA championships."
The Stonehurst will also feature Mercyhurst College, which finished third at the NCAA Division II championships in 2003, and Ithaca College, the Division III third-place finishers in 2003. Other top-level Division I schools taking part in the regatta include Buffalo, Colgate and Syracuse.
"Going to Rochester and competing at the Stonehurst will really give our athletes a totally new outlook on what's out there in the rowing community," McLean said. "At some point, we're going to have to face the best to reach our goals and we'd rather see them now than wait. As we prepare for the regionals this winter and next spring, it'll give us a ton of experience to refer back to, which we hope will make us a much better team."
McLean, who was hired by MSU in August, took over the Racer rowing program after serving as the head coach at the University of Rochester for eight seasons, and he continues to serve as one of the co-directors of the Stonehurst Invitational. His wealth of knowledge and experience in rowing in the historically-strong northeast region should give the Racers a strong foundation as they push to reach the upper tier of NCAA rowing.
"We've worked hard on changing the mentality of our athletes and the way they view themselves," McLean said. "We're definitely looking towards long-term success at Murray State, and one of the first steps in that goal starts this week in Rochester. We're looking forward to the racing experience with the top teams in the nation and it'll do nothing but help our program."
For more information on the Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta, go to www.stonehurstregatta.com.
