Lakers Anticipate ACRA
After a season of triumph and competition at venues from Florida to Ontario, Grand Valley Rowing prepares to conclude the 2009 season with a return to Melton Lake Reservoir in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ACRA (American Collegiate Rowing Association) National Championship is scheduled for May 23 and 24; Grand Valley has entered a number of boats. The women’s team brings a Varsity and Second Varsity 8, plus the Novice Women’s 8; the men’s team also boasts a Varsity 8 and Second Varsity 8, and the novice men have been entered in the Varsity Men’s Pair, Varsity Men’s Double, and Men’s Novice 4 events.
Grand Valley has again been awarded with a number of rowers placed on the 2009 ACRA All-Regional Teams. Seniors Blake Donovan and Geoff Sadek have been honored on the Men’s Great Lakes All-Regional Team, while an unprecedented four students, Kelsey Arnold, Sam Morgan, Sarah Zelenka, and coxswain Katie Higgins, have been honored on the Women’s side. For Sadek, Morgan, and Zelenka, this is the second year in a row they have been honored; 2008 saw all three chosen as ACRA First-Team All-Americans. In addition, Head Coach John Bancheri has been selected as an ACRA Regional Coach of the Year for his work with Grand Valley Rowing’s varsity women.
Two weeks ago in Philadelphia, Grand Valley rowers challenged the multitude of crews at the Dad Vail Regatta, culminating in the Division I Varsity Women’s 8 taking gold with a time of 6:41.2 and the Division II/III Varsity Women’s 8 taking silver with a time of 6:53.8; the Men’s Varsity 8 finished fifth in the Grand Final, while the Men’s Second Varsity 8 took bronze, defeating Michigan, Purdue, and Delaware. Grand Valley narrowly missed the team point championship, finishing third with 29 points, one point shy of a tied University at Buffalo and University of Delaware.
The inaugural ACRA Regatta last year saw Grand Valley as the Team Points National Champions, in addition to a third place in the Men’s Varsity 8, gold medals for the Men’s Lightweight 4 and Women’s J/V 8, silver in the Men’s Pair, and fourth for the Women’s Varsity 8. Heats for the 2009 Regatta begin Saturday morning, May 23.
