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May 14, 2006

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Aramark South/Central Region Results in PDF Format
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Aramark South/Central Region Standings in PDF Format
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OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - Behind some stellar performances on the final day of the NCAA Central/South Region Sprints, sponsored by Aramark, the Lady Vols won their first South Region championship and will likely have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Rowing Championships for the first time as a full team.

Both the regional titles and the overall crown went down to the last race on the Melton Hill Lake 2,000-meter course. Wisconsin held a 13-point lead heading into the First Eights grand final, but Ohio State finished second to snare the Central Region crown and overall title by five points, 366-361. It is the second time the Buckeyes have won the Aramark Sprints overall championship. Notre Dame claimed third with 336 points, while Michigan (317) and Michigan State (312) rounded out the top five.

Virginia held a 161-point advantage after their third-place showing in the First Eights petite final, but with 189 points award to the victors of the last race, the lead was not insurmountable. Needing to finish fourth or better, the Lady Vols' top shell claimed third to capture the program's first South Region title by 10 points, 294-284. UT's win snaps the Cavaliers' string of three consecutive South Region titles. Louisville finished third, its highest finish in the South since 2000, with UCF taking fourth, the program's best ending at the regional championships.

"I'm really happy that the team, hopefully, will get this opportunity," said Lady Vol head coach Lisa Glenn. "This is something that we need, to start competing on the national level, and we've been pushing for all season. A lot fell in our favor this weekend, but we did our part today to get the win. I'm pleased with the effort our student-athletes put forth this weekend. This will be a great chance for them."

Once again leading the way for the Lady Vols was the First Eight shell of coxswain Molly Oellerich (Arlington, Va.), Renee Brittle (Dublin, Va.), Lauren Wells (London, Ontario), Krista Gearing (Fenwick, Ontario), Erin-Monique Shelton (Upper Huff, New Zealand), Rachel Mayberry (Woodbridge, Va.), Kristen Galloway (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut), Nina Dobratz (Portland, Ore.), and Jessica Ayers (Alpharetta, Ga.). The crew led towards the end of the closest race of the day, but surging No. 10 Notre Dame ended up nosing out UT and fourth-ranked Ohio State for first place. No. 20 Wisconsin finished fourth, with ninth-ranked Minnesota and sixth-ranked Michigan rounding out the field.

In the Orange and White's only other grand final, the Open Four group of coxswain Pam Harder (Mayette, N.J.), Kendra Warren (Franklin, Tenn.), Marisa Mohan (San Diego, Calif.), Giulia Guerrero (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Katie Payne (Parksville, British Columbia) snagged second-place honors with a time of 7:44.34. Ohio State claimed the victory, while Wisconsin finished third.

The Second Eights skiff, manned by coxswain Stephanie Davis (Martin, Tenn.), Genevieve Collins (Dallas, Texas), Mary Jones (Huntsville, Ala.), Beth Schwartz (Columbia, Tenn.), Alex Shishkov (Mississauga, Ontario), Heather Hill (Knoxville, Tenn./Catholic), Leah Smelser (Macon, Ga.), Sara Becker (San Diego, Calif.) and Kate Brownlee (North Gower, Ontario), claimed valuable points with its runner-up finish in the petite final. The crew fell by less than a second to Minnesota, while topping Louisville, Duke, Texas and UCF in the race.

The Varsity Four crew of coxswain Kelly Todd (Oak Ridge, Tenn.), Steppie Williams (Collierville, Tenn.), Caroline Howell (Davenport, Iowa), Katrina von Peters (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Sarah Hutcheson (Orlando, Fla.) was able to take second in its petite final, topping UCF, Notre Dame, Louisville and Kansas State but falling to the Texas Longhorns.

UT's Novice Eight finished second in the "C" final, five seconds behind race-winner Ohio State.

On Tuesday, UT will find out its fate on whether it moves on to the NCAA Rowing Championships, being held at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. The event runs from Friday, May 26 through Sunday, May 28.