WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – No. 12 California accomplished what it set out to do on the first day of the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships, advancing its first and second varsity 8+ and varsity 4+ through heats into the AB semifinals at Mercer Lake.
 
All three boats placed third in their opening heats on Friday to qualify for the top semifinal rounds on Saturday.
 
In the V8+ heat, Cal and Rutgers were neck-and-neck for second position behind Tennessee through the first 500 meters. The Bears fell behind Rutgers by almost a half boat over the third 500 meters, but had a half-boat lead over Dartmouth, which was in fourth position. Cal couldn't cut into Rutgers' lead, but was able to hold off a Dartmouth charge to finish third in a time of 6:17.191.
 
In the 2V8+ heat, Cal was in the top three positions along with Rutgers and Stanford after the first 20 strokes. The Bears fell into third position with a solid boat-length lead over fourth-position Rutgers at the 750-meter mark. Rutgers charged and pulled ahead by two seats over Cal by the 1,250-meter mark but the Bears were able to respond over the final 500 meters and surge to edge the Scarlet Knights by less than a half second for third place in a time of 6:25.511.
 
Cal took an early lead in the V4+ heat over the pack with a two-seat lead over Syracuse after 20 strokes. After 500 meters, the Bears almost took a bow-to-stern lead over the Orange. Syracuse fought back and pulled nearly even with Cal at the halfway mark, and eventually took a three-seat lead over the Bears with 500 meters to go. Rutgers also made a move past the Bears, taking over second position over the final 500 meters and kept charging to edge Syracuse by less than a second. Cal finished in third in a time of 7:10.867.
 
Saturday's races will be live streamed on https://www.ncaa.com/ and results will be posted on www.regattatiming.com.
 
Friday Results
 
V8+ heat 3
1. Tennessee - 06:12.603
2. Rutgers - 06:14.543
3. California - 06:17.191
4. Dartmouth - 06:19.071
5. Boston - 06:36.220
6. Fairfield - 06:56.400
 
2V8+ heat 1
1. Stanford - 06:18.391
2. Harvard - 06:22.646
3. California - 06:25.511
4. Rutgers - 06:25.591
5. Indiana - 06:45.285
 
V4+ heat 3
1. Rutgers - 07:08.169
2. Syracuse - 07:08.352
3. California - 07:10.867
4. UCF - 07:18.474
5. Boston - 07:25.817
6. Fairfield - 08:06.217
 
Lineups
 
V8+
Coxswain: Piper Melnick
8. Della Luke
7. Minou Bouman
6. Ella Berger
5. Julia Hunt-Davis
4. Ella Wheeler
3. Star Rose Miller
2. Lotta van Westreenen
1. Izzy Campbell
 
2V8+
Coxswain: Julia Fullington
8. Olivia Roth
7. Sophie Ward
6. Lily Abbott
5. Shannon Kearney
4. Julia Irmler
3. Lola Crampin
2. Giulia Bosio
1. Lily Pember
 
V4+
Coxswain: Kira Obsitnik
4. Vivi Spitz
3. Annie Brown
2. Ella Lewerenz
1. Alexandra Pearson
 
Spares - Katie McDermott, Zoe McKernan, Amy Furlonger
 
Saturday Schedule (all times PT)
4:12 a.m. - V8+ AB Semifinal 1
Lane assignments: Indiana, Brown, Tennessee, Yale, Virginia, California
 
4:28 a.m. – 2V8+ Semifinal 1
Lane assignments: California, Virginia, Texas, Stanford, Tennessee, Syracuse
 
4:44 a.m. – V4+ AB Semifinal 1
Lane assignments: California, Yale, Washington, Rutgers, Michigan, Brown
 
STAY POSTED
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