Husky Rowers Start Season Atop Men's Coaches Poll
April 10, 2008
SEATTLE - The Washington varsity eight men's crew, coming off a 2007 national championship campaign, opened the 2008 season in the No. 1 position of the preseason USRowing collegiate men's poll that was released Thursday.
The Huskies received all 19 first-place votes to begin the year where they ended last season. UW was undefeated and finished No. 1 in the final 2007 coaches poll.
Washington started the 2008 season in impressive fashion with a two-second victory over an elite field, Sunday at the San Diego Crew Classic. All six crews in the grand final were ranked in the preseason top-10. UW outraced No. 2 Princeton, No. 3 Harvard, No. 4 California, No. 6 Northeastern, No. 7 Stanford and No. 9 Yale.
Washington hosts men's and women's crews from Washington State in their annual Apple Cup dual regatta, Saturday, April 12. The 11-race card starts at 9 a.m.
There are five men's races scheduled, but the Huskies' top varsity crews won't row Saturday as their Cougar opponents are a club team and not an intercollegiate competitor.
The UW men's varsity and second varsity crews that competed last weekend in San Diego are preparing for ranked opponents the next two weeks. The Huskies host 14th-ranked Oregon State on April 19 before visiting No. 4 California on April 26.
USROWING MEN'S COLLEGIATE VARSITY EIGHTS POLL
Team (1st-place votes) Points Last Year 1. Washington (19) 400 1 2. Princeton 356 5 3. Harvard 347 2 4. California 332 3 5. Brown 304 7 6. Northeastern 286 15 7. Stanford 280 8 8. Wisconsin 261 6 9. Yale 253 4 10. Cornell 215 11 11. Syracuse 195 9 12. Trinity College 131 12 13. Navy 124 16 14. Oregon State 103 17 15. Georgetown 90 18 16. Boston University 88 13 17. Columbia 86 20 18. Virginia 77 nr 19. George Washington 62 19 20. Michigan 49 10
