IRA Semis and Finals Coverage via Rowing News, Heats Recap

Check out the Rowing News Twitter feed (@RowingNews) this weekend for live updates and coverage of the IRA Championships, as Bryan once again teams up with RowingNews.com to bring you coverage from the course. Also, don't miss the live, streaming broadcast of the event produced Princeton Crew, hosted on their website.

The heats are done, with the usual suspects emerging on top in most cases. In the men's varsity eight, Cal, Washington, and Harvard all won their heats. Cal and Wisconsin faced off in the same heat, with Cal posting the fastest time of the day at 5:28, and Wisconsin crossing in 5:30 (the second fastest time of the day). It will be very interesting to see what happens in Semi 2, with Washington, Harvard, and Wisconsin together in the middle of the course (lanes 4, 3, and 2 respectively). Cal will face a tough challenge in Brown, who pushed Washington in today's heat.

In the 2V, Harvard, Washington, and a very surprising Cal emerged on top. The Badgers took second behind Cal in the heat, and again the two crews posted the two fastest times in their event. The Cal 2V has been well back of Washington thus far in 2011, but posted a time in the heat that is roughly five seconds faster than both Washington and Harvard (both undefeated this season). Something about Cal (5:39) and Wisco (5:42) that just generates speed, it seems. Cal will face another test tomorrow, with Washington in their semifinal.

The Princeton frosh are looking very strong, posting the fastest heat time in their event, dropping the Huskies by open water in the process. Harvard and Cal also won their heats, as expected. Tomorrow, Princeton will face a Cal squad that we expect to win the event – should be an interesting race given that we may have underestimated Princeton. Harvard and Washington will face off in the other semifinal.

Full results can be found here.

Coming next week: RR Interviews ACRA Champion Matt Miller of Virginia about the origins of his interest in the sport, the season, and his plans Summer 2011.

-RR

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