Drexel University
Knecht Cup Regatta
Dragons' Varsity Eight Claims Third Place at Knecht Cup Regatta
4/11/2009 7:28:02 PM | Women's Rowing
Camden, N.J. - After racing twice to qualify for the grand finals at the Knecht Cup Regatta, the Drexel women's varsity eight finished third in the race for the cup. It was the boat's second top-three finish in the past three spring regatta events as the boat also took third in the Murphy Cup. Drexel topped Wisconsin (lightweight), New Hampshire and Delaware in the grand final as the boat finished behind only Buffalo and Rhode Island.
The Dragons' top boat finished the grand final with a time of 7:12.5. The Knecht Cup winner, Buffalo, logged a time of 7:02.5 with Rhode Island finishing in 7:06.1 to take second place. Wisconsin was just 0.8 seconds off of Drexel's time while rival Delaware was 24.3 seconds slower than the Dragons.
On the previous day, the boat was equally impressive at the first day as the varsity eight earned a spot in the semifinals then won in their semifinal to claim a spot in Saturday's grand final. The Drexel varsity eight boat eased its way into the semifinals as the Dragons took third place in the second of four preliminary heats. The top four finishers in each heat were assured semifinal slots. Drexel took its place in the third of three semifinals needing a top-two finish to advance to the grand finals. The boat left little doubt as Drexel won the race by more than a second and a half and was 6.8 seconds faster than third-place finisher, UMass. The Dragons' time of 7:17.8 was the second-fastest among all semifinal times, just 0.4 seconds slower than Buffalo.
The Drexel women's junior varsity eight took fifth in a preliminary heat and failed to advance. The women's novice eight earned a wild card spot in the semifinals after finishing fifth but having a fast enough time to claim a slot in the semifinals. The boat's run for a title ended in the semis, however, as Drexel finished sixth.
