Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
at Michigan with Notre Dame
Rowers Strong In First Fall Racing
9/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
East Lansing, Mich. - - Michigan State kicked off its fall training races on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich., against the host Wolverines and Notre Dame. As the fall is used primarily as a training ground for the spring dual racing season, the opening competition was a series of timed pieces that allowed the rowers to focus on the technical aspects of their training in a racing setting. The Spartans brought three varsity boats to Ann Arbor.
"I really came away from Sunday pleased with our effort from all three boats," said head coach Matt Weise. "There was a lot of good racing. There were some nerves, which was to be expected - but part of Sunday's exercise was to learn to channel that emotion to our advantage, to use it to take a step forward."
The coaching staff compiled three boats that were fairly even, and Weise was happy with the effort and results from each of his entries. The first boat had several close finishes, all within a seat, while the second boat overcame strong Notre Dame starts to row through the Irish and win three of five races. Weise was also impressed with the effort from his third boat, which was a late entry into the field.
"I think it's certainly a confidence builder for us, and what I saw was that we took a step forward with our poise and approach," continued Weise. "I was pleased that I got to see some of the things that I really needed to see at this point of our training, which makes me quite optimistic about the direction we're headed. We really had a good day."
