The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team wasn’t the only Anteater squad collecting awards on Saturday. The UCI women’s Varsity Four won the Grand Final at the 71st annual Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, PA. It is the largest rowing event in the United States.
They finished second in the semifinal heat and advanced to the Grand Final. The team consisting of Heather Coxswain, Ashley Fee, Alex Bolt, Elizabeth Nguyen and Allison Baker competed against 37 other crews during the event, and against six in the final.
UCI stormed ahead straight out of the blocks and found itself in a good position at the first 500-meter mark. The Lady ’Eaters set a blistering pace in conditions that saw choppy waters caused by heavy wind. They crossed the finish line first with a time of 7:36.362 to claim the gold.
They were the first UCI crew in history to finish first in the Dad Vail Regatta.
After finishing second in the Big West Conference this season, the UCI women’s golf squad set its sights on the NCAA Finals.
UCI finished tied for fourth place in the NCAA West Regionals at Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, AZ on Saturday to qualify for the finals. The top eight finishers earn a spot in the NCAA Finals at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings, MD on May 19-22. It will mark the third time in five years that the program has reached the NCAA Finals.
Arizona State won the event with a 54-hole total of 22 under par 842. The University of Southern California and Louisiana State University finished second and third, respectively. UCI, Texas Christian University and the University of Texas in Austin all tied for fourth at 873.
UCI’s Jane Chin tied for fourth place at 208. She was named the Big West Women’s Golfer of the Year and is ranked first by Golfstat magazine with a 71.24 scoring average.
