Rowing Finishes Season At Big Ten Championships

Rowing Finishes Season At Big Ten Championships

May 13 | Women's Rowing

Scarlet Knights register program-best finishes at the conference race

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Rutgers rowing wrapped up its season with a strong showing at the 2018 Big Ten Championships on Sunday, May at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Ind. The Scarlet Knights posted program-best finishes in several races en route to a seventh-place team standing.

"I am really proud of this team and the important steps forward we have taken as a program this year," said head coach Justin Price. "It is clear that we have made big progress and that we continue to grow and improve with every opportunity."

The seventh-place team finish was the best result for Rutgers, which finished ahead of No. 20 Michigan State (eighth place). The novice eight, second novice eight, second varsity four, third varsity four, second varsity eight and varsity eight all posted its best finish at the Big Ten Championships since RU joined the conference for the 2015 races.

The second varsity four, which earned an event win at the Eastern Sprints, clocked a time of 7:39.02 to finish fifth overall. The varsity eight finished sixth with a time of 6:32.46, two seconds behind fifth-place No. 14 Indiana. The Scarlet Knights took home sixth-place finishes in two other races, including both novice eight races.

The novice eight posted a time of 7:12.99 to place sixth overall, while the second novice eight also took sixth in 7:30.91, crossing the finish line three seconds off fifth place Minnesota.

In the second varsity eight, RU placed seventh with a time of 6:42.32, while the varsity four (7:38.26) and the third varsity four (8:17.93) finished eighth in their respective races.

Three Scarlet Knights earned postseason honors as junior Sarah Johanek was named First Team All-Big Ten for the second-straight year. Freshman Ella Toa was selected Second Team All-Big Ten and graduate student Mary Connelly was the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award.

BTN will debut coverage of the Big Ten Rowing Championships on Sunday, May 20, at 11 a.m. ET.