Florida rowers hang out and rest in between races under the team’s tent Saturday afternoon. A schedule with multiple events in line allowed rowers to eat and sleep before returning to the course to race again. ( Catie Flatley/WUFT News
The Colorado Crew walks their tent back to the spectating shoreline after being taken by the wind Saturday afternoon. No was hurt and no cars were damaged. Wind, rain and fog were widespread at the SIRA championship regatta. Catie Flatley/WUFT News
Florida pulls ahead of Dayton in the last 500 meters of their heat on Saturday. Florida’s varsity four boat with Brittny Ostermann, Melanie Carle, Jillian Sands, Chandler Jolly and coxswain Jessica Kulenguski placed first in both their heat and semi-final. The boat won silver in the grand final on Sunday. Catie Flatley/WUFT News
Lin Tippin (seated) along with other spectators watches the boats in their last sprint towards the finish line from the Melton Lake Park shoreline. Tippin comes to the regattas to support the rowers and her husband, Chris Tippin, the head coach of the women’s team. Catie Flatley/WUFT News
The camera team coasts down the course after getting footage from the previous race. The SIRA championship races were streamed on a live webcast, which enabled friends and family who were not at the race to watch it from home, and for coaches and spectators to receive updated results from their smartphones. Catie Flatley/WUFT News
Atilio Atencio, Alex Lopez, Brian Lee, Alex Ahrenholtz and coxswain Kayla Burrows in the men’s varsity four boat take the lead in their first heat on Saturday. After placing first, they advanced to the semi-finals later that day where they came in second. They then placed sixth in the grand finals on Sunday. Catie Flatley/WUFT News
OAK RIDGE, Tennessee — Florida Crew returned victorious to Gainesville after a weekend of racing at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship Regatta .
The team’s trailer was loaded at Lake Alto in Alachua County with its racing shells, and ventured off on the 550-mile journey to Oak Ridge Thursday afternoon with high expectations and hopes of placing.
Seven boats were entered to race between the men and women’s teams. Five of which advanced to the grand finals after competing in heats and semi-finals.
The varsity four and novice eight boats took home silver and bronze, respectively.
A few races were cancelled because fog and other bad weather.
“I was heartbroken,” said a 20-year-old Florida rower Ashley Meade “After my practice on Friday I felt confident for once and wanted to prove to my teammates, coach, and family at home watching that I could do it, that I could handle the pressure and win.”
Meade’s event in the woman’s single was canceled as well as Florida’s novice eight final. The poor visibility down the course was risky for boats without coxswains, like Meade’s single to race on.
The University of Florida Gator Motorsports team is building an electric car for the Formula SAE competition, highlighting the growing trend toward electric vehicles in motorsports.
WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
