HAWK TALK

May 2019

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37 O ver the past two months, the 13th-ranked University of Iowa rowing team's season has proven challenging in and out of the water as the elements took control. Mother Nature has proven a worthy adversary for the Hawkeye crews this season, affecting races from the novice boats to varsity crews, beginning at the Big Ten Double Dual on April 13. e Big Ten Double Dual was Iowa's first home event since 2016, but when race day arrived, a combination of near-freezing temperatures, white capping waves, and strong headwinds played a factor. "Water conditions were very fair in that all crews faced the same challenges, but I think in several circumstances our opponents managed those better than we did," Iowa head coach Andrew Carter said of his team following the Big Ten Double Dual, "is was one of those character-building days where we had to deal with headwinds, crosswinds, and bouncing around." e Hawkeyes braved the conditions and captured victories from the 1V8 and 1N8 on Lake MacBride in Solon, Iowa. e grit displayed in this performance carried over into their next competition, but not before weather played another part — this time on the east coast. Iowa was slated to face off against Harvard and Brown in Providence, Rhode Island, on April 19, but was reluctant to cancel its trip in light of projected weather forecasts for the area. Expected thunderstorms and strong winds prompted the coaching staff to cancel the competition. "We're disappointed to not be able to race with Brown and Harvard," Carter said. "Both those teams are outstanding and the opportunity would have been an excellent one for our crews. However, the weather is something we can't control and, as an outdoor sport, sometimes we have to accept that it's not going to cooperate." Iowa moved on to the Longhorn Invitational on April 27, but that event was also plagued with unruly weather with session one of the event moved to the night before. However, Iowa persevered and upset the field with a 1V8 win over No. 10 Virginia, No. 18 Oregon State, and No. 20 Oklahoma. roughout the season, Iowa has faced unfavorable conditions on the water and has passed every test with flying colors, having been ranked a program-best 24 consecutive weeks. While these conditions are not favorable, they have given the Hawkeye crews valuable experience racing in hard conditions as they head to the Big Ten Championships on May 19 at Devil's Lake, Wisconsin. "I think these types of racing experiences will help us in the long run when we face smoother courses this season," Carter said. "Both our experienced and inexperienced boats have had success in these conditions, which will prove useful for the future." MAY SCHEDULE May 19 at Big Ten Championships (Devil's Lake, Wisconsin) May 31-June 2 at NCAA Championships (Indianapolis)

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