May 4, 2012

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

LIVE RESULTS

PENNSAUKEN, N.J.--Defending champion Saint Joseph’s will try for a repeat, the first since 2007, Saturday at the 2012 Atlantic 10 Rowing Championships. The one-day regatta returns to Cooper River Park, the same place the event has been held annually since 1997.

This year’s championship features three programs with ranked (in the Row2K Collegiate Polls) lightweight Varsity 8 teams: UMass (10^th), Temple (11^th) and Fordham (T-13^th). George Washington is also ranked in the NCAA Division I Mid-Atlantic regional rankings at fifth as a team and at fourth in the Varsity 8.

Should the Hawks repeat, it would be the first repeat champion since 2007 when Massachusetts won the last of its 16 straight titles. Since 2007 Rhode Island has won twice, and UMass won a non con-current crown.

Last year those three schools (SJU, UM, URI) finished in a three-way tie for first place with 45 points. The Hawks owned the tiebreaker between the tied teams which reverted back to the overall finish in the Varsity 8 competition. Saint Joseph's finished second in the Varsity 8 (8:04.45) followed by Massachusetts in third (8:07.95) and Rhode Island in fourth (8:09.26).

Massachusetts was awarded second place for the overall championship, while Rhode Island finished third. Rounding out this year's field was Dayton in fourth (41 points), Fordham in fifth (27), George Washington in sixth (24), Temple in seventh (23), Duquesne in eighth (14) and La Salle in ninth (4).

Dayton opened the finals winning the Varsity 8 by more than 12 seconds crossing the finish line in a time of 7:52.20. It was the first win for the Flyers in the event final in school history. Rhode Island won the Second Varsity 8 finishing in a time of 8:32.01. Massachusetts (8:38.37) and Saint Joseph's (8:46.05) rounded out the top three. The win in the Second Varsity 8 was the second in a row for the Rams and fourth overall. The Rams also claimed the Varsity 4 race winning in a time of 9:44.16. The Minutewomen finished second (9:54.16) followed by the Hawks in third (10:03.30). URI has won the Varsity 4 race four times including four in the last five years.

Live results are available for the championship by clicking HERE