Mercyhurst Women's Varsity Four Joins Top-Ranked Eight in Championship Final
Lauren Packer Webster, Sports Information Director
5/30/2009 2:13:36 PM
The Lakers varsity four joins the varsity eight in the Grand Final at the 2009 NCAA Rowing Championships.
CHERRY HILL, N.J. – The Mercyhurst College women's varsity four finished second in this morning's repechage and advances to Sunday's final at the NCAA Division II rowing championships on the Cooper River.
The four will kick of the Division II finals at 9 a.m., followed by the varsity eight petite final at 9:15 and the varsity eight grand final at 9:30 .
The Lakers four finished behind winner Western Washington (7:45.45) by just under four seconds at 7:49.03. Mercyhurst finished fourth in Friday's four-team heat race and was forced into the second-chance qualifier today along with Western Washington and Philadelphia. Both Western Washington and Mercyhurst will square off againt heat one winner Nova Southeastern in the final.
The No. 1-ranked Mercyhurst women's eight had the best time in Friday's heats and is the favorite to win the national title in that event when racing begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. With their effort, the Lakers had today off from racing as Philadelphia and Seattle Pacific finished one-two in the repechage to join Mercyhurst and Western Washington in the grand final.
The Lakers look for the second program title and first since its inaugural title in 2004. Mercyhurst already owns one national championship in the 2008-09 season as Josh Shields captured the 165-pound wrestling title. In terms of teams reaching the NCAA level, the Laker women are the seventh Mercyhurst squad to advance to this elite.