CLEMSON, S.C. - The rowing team put on its best performance of the season at the seventh annual ACC Championship Saturday at Lake Hartwell in Clemson, S.C., taking second place with 43 team points.
No. 11 Virginia-which has lost only two individual events in the history of the ACC Championship-captured its seventh consecutive title with 60 points off victories in all four events. Miami, which finished with 34 points, followed runner-up Duke, with Clemson, Boston College and North Carolina rounding out the field.
"It is very exciting," assistant coach Emily Egge said. "Overall as a team, I think this is probably the best performance our team has ever had in the ACCs."
The Blue Devils' varsity eight challenged the Cavaliers but lost to the two-time NCAA champion by just 0.9 seconds. The Duke crew had a very quick start and managed to stay with Virginia throughout the first 1500 meters.
The Cavaliers, however, made a hard push at the last 500-meter mark and established its advantage. Despite the Blue Devils' effort to catch up, the Cavaliers carried the lead to the finish line with a time of 6:30.00. Duke finished 6:30.09-its best time of the season-leaving third-place Miami seven seconds behind.
"With the varsity eight having that tight racing experience, knowing that they are capable of going that speed is just a huge confidence builder," said head coach Robyn Horner, who was named ACC Coach of the Year Saturday. "[NCAA Regionals] is still a huge task for us. Coming off this weekend, it makes that much more tangible."
The second varsity eight has shown improvement since its first regatta at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, where the boat finished last. The young crew of five freshmen, three sophomores and one junior finished second with a time of 06:50.8, 14 seconds behind Virginia and five seconds ahead of third place, ACC-newcomer Boston College. Starting at the third position, the Blue Devils used the second 500 meters to move up into second and they remained aggressive for the rest of the course.
"We really came together in the last two weeks," junior coxswain Katie Tobin said. "We used the two weeks of really intense training to bond physically as well as mentally."
The mental preparation has played a pivotal role in the success of the crew. A much stronger boat chemistry has been nurtured in the past several weeks, which enabled the young boat to capture the second-place finish, sophomore Iraina Miles said.
In the varsity four race, the Blue Devils finished in third place at 7:46.5, behind Virginia and Clemson, adding six points to Duke's total.
"They are extremely talented," Egge said of the varsity four. "Everyday we go out on the water, they make huge improvements. They had a fantastic race and they really brought themselves to an entire new level in this sport today."
Due to injuries and a limited number of rowers, the Blue Devils did not race in the novice eight race. The event, which provides six team points, was also won by Virginia.
Sophomore Lia Hart and seniors Tonia Boock and Caroline Wray were selected to the All-ACC team.
The Blue Devils will travel to Miami this week for a dual meet with the Hurricanes before competing at the NCAA Regionals May 12 to 14 in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
This year, the Central and South Regionals will be combined for the first time, which may heighten the challenge for the Blue Devils in advancing to the NCAA Championships, Horner said.
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