Murray State University Athletics
MSU Rowing In NCAA Regional Qualifier
5/12/2004 5:00:00 AM
MSU will be among 23 teams competing from the South and Central regions, which includes such powerful programs as Miami (Fla.), Michigan and Tennessee. Murray State will be competing in women's varsity eights, the first time MSU has ever had a boat in the prestigious race.
Head coach Bill McLean is using the challenge of racing against some of the premier crews in the country as a learning experience.
“Everyone asks for their best, but we're going to need more than our best this weekend,” said McLean, the program's first-year head coach. “We're a smaller program than most of the teams that will be there but it will be a great experience for our rowers.”
Murray State, which last competed in the NCAA Regional Qualifier in 2001, has four first-year rowers in the eight-person boat. Five of those women will be back next year.
“We're going to the Regional Qualifier to see how we do against the fastest teams and find out what we need to do for next year,” said McLean. “We're going to learn to race this weekend.”
Murray State will race a minimum of three times this weekend. Beginning with preliminary heats Saturday morning, the fastest boats move into the upper division races later in the day. Finals will be held on Sunday.
