Cavaliers perfect at championships

In Cherry Hill, N.J., the first day of the NCAA women’s rowing championships couldn’t have gone any better for Virginia.

On the Cooper River on Friday, UVa won all three of its heats. The Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four all advanced to their respective semifinal races that will take place this morning.

“It was a good start to the championship, that’s for sure,” said Virginia coach Kevin Sauer. “When you have all three boats that win their heats and go straight to the semifinals, you really can’t ask for anything more.”

UVa’s Varsity Eight, currently ranked No. 4 by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA), led at the 500-, 1,000- and 1,500-meter marks of its race before finishing strong with a first-place time of 6:29.51.

The crew of coxswain Sidney Thorsten, Jennifer Cromwell, Helen Tompkins, Desiree Burns, Amanda Chase, Lauren Hutchins, Augusta Stratos, Nora Phillips and Victoria Burke edged second-place Princeton (6:31.49) and third-place Clemson (6:32.57).

The Second Varsity Eight, meanwhile, also won its heat by a significant margin. The crew of coxswain Cristine Candland, Lauren Shook, Claudia Blandford, Marie Long, Bridget Fowler, Martha Kuzzy, Cara Linnenkohl, Christine Roper and Susie Chalker won the race with a time of 6:43.99. Washington (6:48.30) was second, followed by third-place Ohio State (6:52.27).

The Varsity Four (coxswain Sarah Pichardo, Ruth Retzinger, Summers Nelson, Caroline Sweeny, Shalane Carlson) trailed its race at the 500-meter mark but fought back at the halfway point to take the lead. Finishing strong, the crew won with a time of 7:31.29, edging second-place California (7:33.94) and third-place Harvard (7:34.98).

In today’s semifinal races, the first-, second- and third-place finishers advance to the grand final in each event to determine places first through sixth at the championships.

“I’m just hopeful that we can keep it going,” Sauer said. “Like I told them, we’ll have to be a little bit better, work a little bit harder and a little more together. Each stage of this thing is tougher. I think they’re ready to do that hopefully.”