The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

New rowers, new medals

Iowas+rowing+team+practices+on+the+Iowa+River+on+Friday%2C+Sept.+15%2C+2017.+
Lily Smith
Iowa’s rowing team practices on the Iowa River on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017.

The Hawkeye rowers brought home three medals on Sept. 30 in the form of two golds and a bronze.

The Novice 4+ teams of Katherine Rygh, Olivia Hansen, Kayla Jensen, Chloe Creekmur, and coxswain Madeline Baron won the event in 19:50.927, 40 seconds ahead of second-place Drake. Iowa’s other Novice 4+ team finished third in the event with a time of 21:43.201.

Iowa dominated the Novice 8+ event with its squads finishing first, third, and fourth.

The crew of Rygh, Hansen, Jensen, Charlotte Lekaitis, Heidi Mentz, Hailey Weisensel, Tessa Walsh, Creekmur, and coxswain Emily Carroll took home the gold with a time of 18:08.087, beating Drake by 19 seconds.

RELATED: Young Iowa rowers start to rock the boat

Iowa’s third-place crew finished in 19:18.598 and its fourth-place crew finished in 22:25.276.

It was a lot of fun today,” assistant coach Megan Fitzpatrick said. “Winning is always fun, but more than anything, this race was a great opportunity for the athletes to realize what they’re capable of in this sport. With only a month of rowing experience, a 5K race can be quite a feat, but across all five boats, there was undeniable energy, excitement, and confidence. They proved today they’re ready to take the next step up in their training, and as coaches, we’re more than excited for their future representing the Iowa Hawkeyes.”

The event was the Novice rowers’ first time representing the Hawkeyes in the sport.

“This was a terrific first outing for our first-year group,” head coach Andrew Carter said. “I’m very proud of how they managed their first competition and how they represented the program and the Hawkeyes in general. I’m sure this is only the beginning, and look forward to their future with this team.”

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About the Contributor
James Geerdes, Design Editor
Email: [email protected] James is a junior studying business analytics and journalism. He is currently the design editor and is interested in interactive graphics and UX design. Since joining his freshman year, he has been a sports reporter, designer, and digital producer for The Daily Iowan.