CAA Rowing Champ Preview

4/27/2012 3:40:00 PM

RICHMOND, Va. (April 27, 2012) - Seven teams will battle for the 2012 Virginia 529 CAA Rowing Championship, which will be held on Sunday, April 26 at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax Station, Va.

The championship begins with the Varsity 4 race at 9:30 a.m. followed by the Second Varsity 8 race at 9:45 a.m. The Varsity 8 competition follows at 10:05 a.m., with an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the event. There is no admission charge to the championship, but all vehicles must pay a $10 parking fee upon entrance to the park.

This is the fourth CAA Rowing Championship and the third to be conducted on the waters of the Occoquan Reservoir. Conference newcomer Boston University makes its first appearance at the event and is expected to among the favorites for the title. The Terriers, who were ranked 5^th in the New England Region on April 18, won four of the five races last weekend in a competition against Saint Joseph's and regionally-ranked Navy. Earlier this season, Boston U. won the Council Cup for the first time since 2005.

Northeastern will be looking to capture its third CAA championship after taking home the conference title in 2009 and 2011. The Huskies, who were among others receiving votes in the latest national Top 25 poll, saw their varsity 8 team post its eighth victory of the season over Rhode Island last weekend. They also picked up three victories against a tough field at the Virginia Invitational.

Buffalo won the CAA championship in 2010 and finished as the runner-up in 2009 and 2011. The Bulls saw all three of their heavyweight eight boats earn wins last weekend in a race against MIT and Massachusetts in Boston. Buffalo also captured the Harvey Cup earlier this season with wins over Eastern Michigan, Colgate and Dayton.

Other teams battling for the CAA title are Delaware, Drexel, host George Mason and Old Dominion. All four squads turned in strong performances at the competitive Knecht Cup in New Jersey on April 14-15. ODU placed third in the CAA Championship a year ago following second-place finishes in the Varsity 8 and Varsity 4 races.