Tennessee 2V8 Brings Home First Big 12 Boat of the Week Honor of 2023
March 22, 2023 | Rowing
IRVING, Texas – After a successful weekend of competition to kick off the 2023 campaign, Tennessee rowing's 2V8 crew garnered Big 12 Boat of the Week honors, the league announced Wednesday.
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The boat was coxed by Abigail Bacci and featured Kate Schildmeyer, Gabriela Natale, Beatrice Bernard, Alex Pidgeon, Riley Ferdelman, Paige Reymann, Sheya Lavin and Haley Savastano. This marked seventh time ever in which the Lady Vols won the award, and this was the first time a lineup other than the first varsity eight earned the recognition. After only winning the weekly honor twice before last season, head coach Lisa Glenn has coached the Big Orange to five Big 12 Boat of the Week awards between last year and this year.
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Kicking off the season with the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invite, the Tennessee 2V8 enjoyed a 6-2 record against a field which consisted of three teams ranked inside the final CRCA Pocock Coaches Poll last season while the rest were receiving votes. Throughout the weekend, the Lady Vol lineup defeated Alabama, Clemson, Louisville and Wisconsin while consistently notching some of the top times of all the varsity eight boats in the regatta.
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On Saturday, the crew opened the season by finishing second overall, clocking a 6:30.021 to best Clemson and Wisconsin lightweight and trailing on Yale, who finished last year ranked No. 5. In its second session, Tennessee recorded an impressive 6:22.623 time, narrowly off the Big Orange's 1V8 (6:22.416). Only Yale posted a better time in the 2V8 races on the day, and the crew's effort was faster than the afternoon sessions from the 1V8 boats from Alabama, Clemson, Indiana, Louisville, Notre Dame, Navy and Wisconsin.
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In the final session of the weekend, the lineup came up just shy of winning the tightest race of the weekend, finishing less than 0.1 seconds behind Duke, who finished last season ranked 16th. Tennessee placed second thanks to a 6:31.361 effort, outpacing Louisville and Wisconsin lightweight in the race. Once again, it was faster than the first varsity eights for every team except Yale and Duke.
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Times:
Session I: 1. #5 Yale (6:17.104), 2. #19 Tennessee (6:30.021), 3. RV Clemson (6:47.957), 4. Wisconsin LWT (7:01.359)
Session II: 1. #19 Tennessee (6:22.623), 2. RV Alabama (6:30.346), 3. RV Wisconsin (6:32.281)
Session III: 1. #16 Duke (6:31.279), 2. #19 Tennessee (6:31.361), 3. Wisconsin LWT (6:54.482), 4. RV Louisville (6:57.468)
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For the most up-to-date information about the program, follow Tennessee rowing on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
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The boat was coxed by Abigail Bacci and featured Kate Schildmeyer, Gabriela Natale, Beatrice Bernard, Alex Pidgeon, Riley Ferdelman, Paige Reymann, Sheya Lavin and Haley Savastano. This marked seventh time ever in which the Lady Vols won the award, and this was the first time a lineup other than the first varsity eight earned the recognition. After only winning the weekly honor twice before last season, head coach Lisa Glenn has coached the Big Orange to five Big 12 Boat of the Week awards between last year and this year.
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Kicking off the season with the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invite, the Tennessee 2V8 enjoyed a 6-2 record against a field which consisted of three teams ranked inside the final CRCA Pocock Coaches Poll last season while the rest were receiving votes. Throughout the weekend, the Lady Vol lineup defeated Alabama, Clemson, Louisville and Wisconsin while consistently notching some of the top times of all the varsity eight boats in the regatta.
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On Saturday, the crew opened the season by finishing second overall, clocking a 6:30.021 to best Clemson and Wisconsin lightweight and trailing on Yale, who finished last year ranked No. 5. In its second session, Tennessee recorded an impressive 6:22.623 time, narrowly off the Big Orange's 1V8 (6:22.416). Only Yale posted a better time in the 2V8 races on the day, and the crew's effort was faster than the afternoon sessions from the 1V8 boats from Alabama, Clemson, Indiana, Louisville, Notre Dame, Navy and Wisconsin.
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In the final session of the weekend, the lineup came up just shy of winning the tightest race of the weekend, finishing less than 0.1 seconds behind Duke, who finished last season ranked 16th. Tennessee placed second thanks to a 6:31.361 effort, outpacing Louisville and Wisconsin lightweight in the race. Once again, it was faster than the first varsity eights for every team except Yale and Duke.
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Times:
Session I: 1. #5 Yale (6:17.104), 2. #19 Tennessee (6:30.021), 3. RV Clemson (6:47.957), 4. Wisconsin LWT (7:01.359)
Session II: 1. #19 Tennessee (6:22.623), 2. RV Alabama (6:30.346), 3. RV Wisconsin (6:32.281)
Session III: 1. #16 Duke (6:31.279), 2. #19 Tennessee (6:31.361), 3. Wisconsin LWT (6:54.482), 4. RV Louisville (6:57.468)
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For the most up-to-date information about the program, follow Tennessee rowing on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
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