DURHAM, N.C. - After securing its first national regatta bid on the strength of a runner-up finish at the ACC Championship on May 14, the Duke University rowing team begins the 2016 NCAA Championships Friday on Lake Natoma at the Sacramento State Aquatics Center in Gold River, Calif.
The Blue Devils will be the lone program making its NCAA Championships debut this season. Duke enters the event ranked 12th in the final regular season Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA)/USRowing Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in program history.
“I'm just so proud of these ladies and how hard they worked and trusted the whole time that we could do it,” first-year head coach Megan Cooke Carcagno said. “I know we had doubts and we had fears but we overcame everything and put it together.”
Duke opens the championships in the third heat of the V8 on Friday at 12:24 p.m. (ET). The Blue Devil entry will occupy the fourth lane against Ohio State, Brown, Wisconsin, UCF and Jacksonville.
Guiding the V8 boat will be seniors Katie Dukovich and Alex Stonehill, who earned All-ACC First Team accolades at the ACC Championship. The Blue Devils' V8 finished second at the ACC Championship, tied for its highest placement ever and the first time since 2013.
The Duke 2V8 takes the water in lane three of heat three against Ohio State, Princeton, Michigan, Navy and Jacksonville on Friday at 1:12 p.m. (ET). After the season-opening Carolina Cup, the Blue Devils' 2V8 earned ACC Crew of the Week accolades by winning with a time of 6:37.6.
Friday's preliminary racing in the Division I draw is set to conclude with the V4 competition, where Duke matches up with Washington, Ohio State, USC, UCF and Rhode Island at 2:12 p.m. (ET) in the fourth of four heats.
The Blue Devils have rowed against some of the best programs in the country this season, facing No. 9 Princeton in a dual, No. 3 Virginia in a dual and No. 9 Stanford at the Pac-12 Challenge. Duke also saw current No. 1 California during the Pac-12 Challenge and tied for first at the Dale England Cup with No. 14 Indiana and No. 17 Notre Dame.
“I was excited for every member of our team this year,” Cooke Carcagno added. “This is awesome. We set out to do something and we made it come true. It's a great ending to a great year.”
Cooke Carcagno has led a large turnaround this season, highlighted by Duke's second place finish at the ACC Championship in 2016 after placing seventh in 2015. For her efforts, Cooke Carcagno was named the ACC Coach of the Year, marking the third time in Duke history a Blue Devil has earned the honor. The now-retired Robyn Horner was tabbed in 2002 and 2006.
Duke was one of three ACC teams to garner a bid to the 22-team NCAA field, joining ACC Champion Virginia and Syracuse.
Crews are awarded points for their final finish in each of the three boats. In the V4, the Grand Final first-place finisher receives 22 points, with each place below that receiving one fewer point. In the 2V8, the points are doubled (44 points for first place, 42 for second, down to 2 points for 22nd place). In the V8, the points are tripled (66 points for first, 63 for second on down to 3 for 22nd place). The team with the most points is named NCAA Champion. If there is a tie, the tied teams' result in the V8 serves as the tie-breaker.
Duke 2016 NCAA Championships Rowing Lineups
May 27-29
Lake Natoma
Sacramento State Aquatics Center
Gold River, Calif.
First Varsity Eight, Heat 3, Friday at 12:24 p.m. (ET)
Meagan Lew, Katherine Maitland, Karley Whelan, Jessica Findlay, Alex Stonehill, Katie Dukovich, Meridith Kisting, Celia Macrae and Isabel Ruby-Hill
Second Varsity Eight, Heat 3, Friday at 1:12 p.m. (ET)
Simone Pitre, Megan Conroy, Lauren Miranda, Shannon Tierney, Elizabeth Horne, Julia Weber, Sophie Simister, Hannah Hewitt and Phoebe Donovan
Varsity Four, Heat 4, Friday at 2:12 p.m. (ET)
Sarah Wall, Mary Wilson, Sarah Fletcher, Marissa Donadio and Rhea Bergman
Schedule of Events
Friday, May 27
12 noon Division I I Eights Heat 1
12:12 p.m. Division I I Eights Heat 2
12:24 p.m. Division I I Eights Heat 3
12:36 p.m. Division I I Eights Heat 4
12:48 p.m. Division I II Eights Heat 1
1 p.m. Division I II Eights Heat 2
1:12 p.m. Division I II Eights Heat 3
1:24 p.m. Division I II Eights Heat 4
1:36 p.m. Division I Fours Heat 1
1:48 p.m. Division I Fours Heat 2
2 p.m. Division I Fours Heat 3
2:12 p.m. Division I Fours Heat 4
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7:12 p.m. Division I I Eights Repechage 1
7:24 p.m. Division I I Eights Repechage 2
7:36 p.m. Division I II Eights Repechage 1
7:48 p.m. Division I II Eights Repechage 2
8 p.m. Division I Fours Repechage 1
8:12 p.m. Division I Fours Repechage 2
Saturday, May 28
11:12 a.m. Division I I Eights C/D Semifinals
11:24 a.m. Division I I Eights C/D Semifinals
11:36 a.m. Division I I Eights A/B Semifinals
11:48 a.m. Division I I Eights A/B Semifinals
12 noon Division I II Eights C/D Semifinals
12:12 p.m. Division I II Eights C/D Semifinals
12:24 p.m. Division I II Eights A/B Semifinals
12:36 p.m. Division I II Eights A/B Semifinals
12:48 p.m. Division I Fours C/D Semifinals
1 p.m. Division I Fours C/D Semifinals
1:12 p.m. Division I Fours A/B Semifinals
1:24 p.m. Division I Fours A/B Semifinals
Sunday, May 29
11:12 a.m. Division I Fours D Final (places 19-22)
11:24 a.m. Division I Fours C Final (places 13-18)
11:36 a.m. Division I II Eights D Final (places 19-22)
11:48 a.m. Division I II Eights C Final (places 13-18)
12 noon Division I I Eights D Final (places 19-22)
12:12 p.m. Division I I Eights C Final (places 13-18)
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1 p.m. Division I Fours Petite Final (places 7-12)
1:12 p.m. Division I Fours Grand Final (places 1-6)
1:24 p.m. Division I II Eights Petite Final (places 7-12)
1:36 p.m. Division I II Eights Grand Final (places 1-6)
1:48 p.m. Division I I Eights Petite Final (places 7-12)
2 p.m. Division I I Eights Grand Final (places 1-6)
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3 p.m. Division I Awards Ceremony
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