'M' rows toward national title shot

In the year of the national championship, one team is going by virtually unnoticed.

Football and hockey? Check.

Softball? Could be a week away.

Rowing? Could happen in two weeks.

In just two years as a varsity program, the Wolverines cemented themselves among the nation's elite Saturday by winning the varisity-eight race at the Central Sprints Regional Championship in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily Michigan's first varsity-eight defeated Virginia for the third time this season this weekend. The third-ranked Wolverines head to San Diego for NCAAs in two weeks.

The Wolverines edged out Virginia - who was ranked ahead of Michigan in the region despite dropping both head-to-head races - by a boatlength.

"We got out to a lead at the start and held it the whole way," Michigan coach Mark Rothstein said. "It was a real tight race, but we were in control the whole race. We rowed."

The victory should move Michigan into third place in the national rankings, behind perrenial rowing powerhouses Washington and Brown.

Michigan turned in strong performances from all three of its varsity boats - the first and second varsity eights and the varsity four. The second-varsity eight shell finished second, just one second behind Virginia. The varsity four shell finished fourth.

"I'm real happy with our second varsity boat," Rothstein said. "It was a great race. We didn't win, but we were less than one second off Virginia."

Earlier in the season, the Cavaliers defeated Michigan's second-varsity boat by over seven seconds.

Rothstein was also pleased with the varsity four race. Although Michigan finished fourth, the three boats that beat the Wolverines represented the school's top crew. Michigan's top crew is the first-varsity eight. The varsity four represents the Wolverines' third crew.

Michigan will spend the next two weeks preparing for the National Collegiate Rowing Championships, to be held on May 30-31.

"We're going to continue with a similar type of training - work hard and get faster," Rothstein said. "We're not looking to just go. We're looking to be the top crew."

05-18-98