Rowing Faces Rival Bruins In Dual Race On Sunday
March 25, 2004 | Women's Rowing
March 25, 2004
This Week
The USC women's rowing team will host UCLA in the third-annual dual race between the two schools this Sunday, March 28, at the USC Boathouse in the Port of Los Angeles. The teams will race a Varsity Eight, JV Eight, Varsity Four and Novice Eight boat, with the overall winner earning all five points for the Lexus Gauntlet. The first race begins at 9:20 a.m.
Sunday will be the Women of Troy's first race of the regular season. Next week, USC will race at the San Diego Crew Classic on April 3 and 4 at Mission Bay.
Rankings
The USC Varsity Eight boat entered the season ranked 12th in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Coaches Preseason Poll released on March 11. Brown earned top billing, while conference foes Stanford, Washington and California entered the polls at sixth, 10th and 11th, respectively. UCLA is not ranked.
Battle for the Lexus Gauntlet
Sunday's race will decide who will capture all five points awarded in women's rowing for the 2003-04 Lexus Gauntlet -- a season-long competition between USC and UCLA. This unique program awards points for the winner of each Bruin-Trojan head-to-head athletic contest throughout the year. USC currently leads this years competition 50.0 to 30.0 with points still to be awarded in rowing, men's and women's golf, men's and women's track and field and baseball.
Scoring
USC and UCLA will race four boats - a Varsity Eight, JV Eight, Varsity Four and Novice Eight. The dual race winner will be determined by a point system similar to the one used at the Pac-10 Championships. With only two boats in each race, three points will be awarded to the Varsity Eight winner, two to the JV Eight and one apiece to the winners of the Varsity Fours and Novice Eights.
Race History
USC and UCLA established this annual racing tradition in 2002, the year UCLA resurrected its rowing program. The Trojans won the first two meetings - 5-2 in 2002 and 6-1 in 2003 - and have beat the Bruins in five of the eight totals races over the last two years. Last season, UCLA won the Novice Eight race, while USC captured the Varsity Fours and the higher-scoring Varsity Eight and JV Eight races.
Schedule for Sunday - USC vs. UCLA
9:20 a.m. - Varsity Eights
9:40 a.m. - JV Eights
10:20 a.m. - Novice Eights
10:40 a.m. - Varsity Fours
Directions to USC Boathouse:
Take 110 South (pass 105 and 405 freeways).
Exit "C" Street.
Make a RIGHT at the stop sign at "Figueroa".
Make a LEFT on "Harry Bridges".
Make a RIGHT on "Avalon".
Make a LEFT on "Water Street".
Make a RIGHT on "Yacht St".
The boathouse is on the left past the fire station.
