Rowing: Bruins race to end season on top
By Jason Petersen
May 13, 2004 9:00 p.m.
The 18th annual Pac-10 Women’s Rowing Championship will
mark the culmination of the women’s rowing season this
Sunday.
Having finished seventh in last year’s regatta, the Bruins
are looking to place in the Grand Final this year.
“We have raced pretty well against the top schools
throughout the year,” coach Amy Fuller said. “Our goal
is to race in Sunday’s Grand Final.”
The Bruins have yet to race in the Grand Final since their first
appearance in the championships as a varsity sport three years
ago.
There will be plenty of competition for a place in
Sunday’s final.
Washington’s historical dominance, having won the Pac-10
team title 16 of the last 18 times, poses a daunting challenge.
The only other team to capture the title was the Bruins in 1990
and 1991.
“We need to have our best race of the season to compete
with some of the nation’s elite programs this weekend,”
Fuller said.
Among the contenders are national No. 1 California and a Huskies
team that defeated the Bruins by 10 seconds at the Windermere
Cup.
As a result, the Bruins are setting realistic goals for the
weekend.
“We want to continue to improve our performance and place
higher than last year,” Fuller said. “We are primed for
a strong race and don’t want to be racing in the Petite Final
on Sunday.”
The Bruins were victorious in the Petite Final last season,
finishing seventh among the 15 teams participating in the Pac-10
Championships.
The Bruins remain confident in their abilities, having raced
against most of the teams earlier in the season.
“We raced USC competitively earlier this year and know we
can perform well this weekend and end the season on a very positive
note,” Fuller said.
