The University of Iowa rowing team completed the first day of competition at the Big Ten Invitational on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif., on Apr. 18. The Hawkeyes competed against a strong field that included both Big Ten and non-Big Ten teams.
The event is significant as it brings together top collegiate rowing programs, with eight out of nineteen teams ranked in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association top 25. This provides an opportunity for teams like Iowa to measure their performance against some of the best crews in the country.
Iowa’s best results came from its First and Second Varsity Eight boats, which each finished fourth ahead of Gonzaga during the morning session. In the afternoon, Iowa’s Fourth Varsity Eight placed third above Indiana. Head coach Jeff Garbutt said, “I am really proud of the racing that our athletes did today. With the weather challenges back home and not being able to row outside a lot, they came down the course today with aggression and spirit. Having the whole team out here is great, because everyone is cheering and helping one another out. I am really proud of the 4V8 and 3V4 who raced for the first time this year. We are going to continue to focus on getting better and faster with each race. I thought our athletes did a good job executing the race plans and improving from the morning to afternoon sessions.”
In addition to facing highly ranked opponents such as Stanford (No. 1), Washington (No. 5), California (No. 9), Rutgers (No. 12), Ohio State (No. 16), Michigan (No. 17), UCLA (No. 20), and Indiana (No. 23), Iowa also raced against schools including Gonzaga, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Sacramento State, San Diego, USC, Washington State and Wisconsin.
Detailed results show that Iowa’s First Varsity Eight finished fourth in their morning heat behind Stanford, Michigan and USC but ahead of Gonzaga; similar placements were seen across other boat classes throughout both sessions.
As competition continues at Lake Natoma over subsequent days of racing at this invitational meet—streamed live on B1G+—the Hawkeyes aim to build upon their performances.
