W. rowing: Race for the Creek ends in tie for women’s rowing team

The 29th Annual Miller Cup Regatta came down to a photo finish
between Loyola Marymount and the UCLA women’s rowing team,
but there was no camera to declare a winner.

Without the benefit of instant replay, the Bruins were forced to
share the Miller Cup with rival LMU in what has come to be known as
the Race for the Creek.

“We would like a rematch so we can solidify our seeding
for the championships in two weeks,” UCLA coach Amy Fuller
said.

The implications of the teams’ identical times of six
minutes, 17.4 seconds in the final heat left Fuller unsure of the
Bruins’ position in the upcoming Pac-10 Rowing
Championships.

Since the Bruins have amassed a 1-1-1 record against the Lions,
it is difficult to tell where they will be seeded in relation to
their rival.

The judges’ decision baffled the rowers, who were left
waiting for the final results for minutes after the race. Ties are
uncommon in women’s rowing, and the decision brought mixed
emotions among the coaches and players, who desired a photo finish
used at most regattas.

Each team thought it had won the match. Another rematch would be
a fitting end to what has become a spirited rivalry between the
teams, which has developed from sharing the same practice and
racing venue for years.

“The Race for the Creek makes the Miller Cup that much
more important to us,” sophomore starboard Liz Pallas-Jacobs
said. “I would love to race again and declare a sole
winner.”

While the Bruins’ first-place tie will pose some
logistical problems for housing the Miller Cup trophy between both
schools, the tie marks the 14th time the Bruins have captured the
Cup since the event’s inception in 1976 and the second in the
past three years.