Courtesy: Stanford Athletics
STANFORD, Calif. – No. 6 Stanford women's rowing will compete in the Pac-12 Championship on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California this Sunday (May 15).
The 2016 Pac-12 Championships will feature six of the top 20 women's rowing programs in the nation, according to the latest Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association/USRowing Coaches Poll released on Wednesday. No. 6 Stanford will be joined by No. 2 California, No. 4 Washington, No. 12 USC, No. 13 Washington State and No. 20 UCLA.
The conference regatta will begin at 9:15 a.m. PT with the women's third varsity eight race. The varsity four race will take place at 9:45 a.m. PT, followed by the second varsity eight at 10:15 a.m. PT and the varsity eight race at 10:45 a.m. PT. The Pac-12 men's rowing races will be held in between the women's races. Following the regatta, there will be an awards ceremony at 11:45 a.m. PT.
The Pac-12 Network will televise the regatta, with the broadcast airing at 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, May 14.
The Cardinal last competed on April 30, in the Big Row at Redwood Shores. The varsity eight defeated then No. 1 California to capture the Lambert Cup, completing the course in a season-best time of 6:12.82 to the Bears' time of 6:16.83. Cal captured the second varsity eight, third varsity eight and varsity four races.
Stanford raced at the Lake Natoma course on April 17, placing second in the varsity eight to then No. 2 California and defeating then No. 1 Brown. The Cardinal's varsity eight recorded a time of 6:16.38. Stanford and Cal's times were both under the Lake Natoma course record set back in 2010. The Bears' time is the new the course record, while the Cardinal now owns the second fastest time recorded on the course.
Stanford's varsity eight finished second in last year's Pac-12 Championships, completing the course in 6:36.70, behind first-place Cal's time of 6:30.60. The Cardinal placed fourth overall as a team in last season's conference championships. The second varsity eight finished fourth, the varsity four finished fifth and the third varsity eight placed seventh in the 2015 conference regatta.
The 2016 NCAA Championships will take place on the Lake Natoma course Friday through Sunday, May 27-29.