Squad travels to Michigan to face conference foes, won’t race Ohio State

The IU rowing team will get its first taste of Big Ten competition in East Lansing, Mich., this weekend. IU’s varsity and novice crews will face Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan in an all-day double-duel race.\n“The goal is to see how we fare against other Big Ten schools – both Michigan and Michigan State have had some upset losses. It will be interesting to see how we’ll do against them,” assistant coach Carmen Mirochna said. “We think we have some unprecedented speed in our crews, but that remains to be seen until we get out there.”\nThe Hoosiers are eager to get back on the water after the race scheduled for last weekend was canceled because of severe weather. The missed racing opportunity does put the Hoosiers at a slight disadvantage compared to other crews, but they’ve made up for lost time.\n“It would have been nice to have more racing experience before we face some really good competition,” Mirochna said. “But it’s given us a chance to switch lineups and work on different race strategies.” \nThree of the second varsity eight rowers switched into the first varsity eight, making it the fastest boat IU has ever had, she said. The second varsity eight however, has clocked in with the closest margins to other schools the Hoosiers have raced this season and is not a boat to be ignored. While they’ve seen success so far this season, this weekend will be a prime opportunity for the team to prove themselves against tougher competition. \n“Anytime you are going to be racing other Big Ten schools, you know it isn’t going to be easy,” senior Stacey Young said. “We’re going into the weekend knowing that while nothing will be easy, it really shouldn’t be, and that we have the talent to make things happen.”\nThis is the only time the Hoosiers will face off against Michigan and Michigan State before seeing them in the larger conference and regional races in the coming weeks.\n“Since Big Tens and South Centrals are fast approaching, it’s very important this weekend to get focused and compete,” freshman Emily Kasavana said. “If we perform to our potential, this weekend should be very exciting.\nAlthough the Hoosiers won’t race Ohio State, this weekend’s results will help the team gauge the Buckeyes’ speed, Mirochna said. Both Michigan and Michigan State have produced similar racing results this season and have proven to be equally competitive crews.\n“Although they’re both tough competitors, we have to realize that we have reached a point in our program where we are now on their level,” Young said. “We are tough, we are strong and we are hard to beat.”