If the Virginia women’s rowing team can perform today the way it has in their first two days of competition at the NCAA championships, the Cavaliers could be looking at their first-ever team title.

The first day of the NCAA women’s rowing championships couldn’t have gone any better for Virginia.

As the NCAA championships get under way this morning in Cherry Hill, N.J., one thing is pretty clear: Losing at the ACCs may have been a blessing in disguise.

“People have no idea that CVa kids, rowing here in the reservoir — that they’re world-class athletes,” said Kevin Sauer recently.

Chaudoin, who graduated from Virginia in May, recently earned a spot on the United States Under-23 national team. The 21-year-old will be competing at the upcoming world championships in Brandenburg, Germany, set for July 17-20.

A trip to the dentist can have a number of outcomes. None of them are usually very good. But Kevin Sauer’s visits to the tooth doctor in 1999 may result in Lindsay Shoop taking home Olympic gold in Beijing next month.

On Sunday in Sacramento, Calif., the Virginia women’s rowing team took fifth place in the NCAA Championships. While it was UVa’s eighth top-five finish in the last 11 years, it clearly wasn’t what coach Kevin Sauer was shooting for.

The first day of the NCAA championships was a strong one for the Virginia women’s rowing team.

In the 12-year history of the NCAA Championships, UVa has participated 11 times and has finished as the runner-up three times — in 1999, in 2005, and again last year.