Princeton University Athletics
Sweet 16! Open Crew Continues Streak, Earns Spot In 2012 NCAA Championships
May 16, 2012 | Women's Rowing - Open
Princeton is one of three programs to reach every NCAA Championship regatta in open crew, and that streak grew to 16 when the Tigers were named one of 16 competitors for the 2012 national championships. The NCAAs will be held May 25-27 at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.
Princeton, the reigning NCAA champion in the varsity eight, has been ranked among the national Top 10 throughout a highly successful 2012 season. The Tigers showed their team strength last weekend by winning the Willing Point Trophy for the best overall team performance at the inaugural Ivy League Sprints.
While the Ivy League title went to Radcliffe, which won the varsity eight title, the NCAA Championship goes to the team with the best total score from its three boats (varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four).
Points are awarded for each team's final finish in Sunday's finals. The varsity eight winner earns 48 team points; every other team earns a multiple of three points based on its overall finish. Thus, the second-place team earns 45, the third-place team earns 42, etc. The second-varsity eight uses the same system, only with a multiple of two points, so the winner earns 32, the second-place team earns 30, etc. The varsity four earns one point per spot, with the winning team earning 16 points.
Princeton's depth has been impressive throughout the season. Both the varsity eight and second varsity eight went 8-2 overall, while the varsity four was a perfect 10-0. The second varsity had the best Sprints performance by earning its second straight gold medal, but both the varsity eight and varsity four earned spots on the medal stand.
Princeton is one of five Ivy League teams that will be vying for the NCAA title. Brown, Cornell, Radcliffe and Yale will also compete with the nation's best, a field that includes Pac-12 champion California, EAWRC champion Virginia and Big Ten champion Michigan.
The Tiger varsity eight will open competition May 25 in the 9:30 a.m. heat against California, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Stanford and Notre Dame. The second varsity will compete at 10:15 against Ohio State, Harvard, Washington, Michigan State and Cornell, and the varsity four will compete at 10:30 against California, Harvard, Michigan State and Cornell.