The Wisconsin women's lightweight and openweight, each coming off victories in their headline races at last week's Midwest Rowing Championships, both face challenges in their respective races this weekend. The lightweights will race No. 4 Georgetown while the openweights will go up against conference foes at the Big Ten Championships. The No. 3 lightweights will try to stave off the Hoyas in the national rankings when they go to Washington, D.C., and the No. 13 openweights will stay in the Midwest, as they travel to Iowa City, Ia., to compete in the Championships.
The Badgers' openweights face a considerably more pivotal test than their lightweight counterparts, as they enter the conference championships with a No. 3 seed in the First and Second Varsity Eights. They will also be the No. 3 seed in the First Novice Eights and Second Varsity Fours.
This weekend's Big Ten Championships will also include some of the most elite rowing teams in the country-most notably the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes whose First and Second Varsity Eight crews will each be seeded No. 1. Two weeks ago, in a race in which the Badgers played host to Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State, UW met up with the Buckeyes but fell a boat-length short of toppling No. 1 OSU in the First Varsity Eights. Wisconsin swept the races against Iowa and Indiana in the morning-never facing Minnesota in the day's proceedings-and entered their afternoon contest with Ohio State having won all six of their races. Their unblemished record for the day was challenged and ultimately was no more when they crossed the finish a mere four seconds after the best crew team in the country.
Exacting revenge on mighty Ohio State would certainly be rewarding, though the Badgers have their sights set on winning every race-not just those in which the Buckeyes are favored. UW will have to contend with Minnesota, who garnered the No. 1 seed in the remaining four events Ohio State is not picked to win. The Gophers rank first in the First and Second Varsity Fours as well as the First and Second Novice Eights.
Meanwhile, the lightweights will try to cement their position as one of the nation's top three crew teams when they venture to the nation's capital to take on Georgetown. After they try to fend off the Hoyas this weekend, they will continue north up the coast until they get to Camden, N.J., for the Eastern Sprints. The openweights will travel south to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Central Regional Regatta once they complete this weekend's affairs in Iowa City.
