Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/504636
153 T he University of Iowa women's rowing team spent the first half of the spring season with outstanding performances against confer- ence rivals. Most recently, the Hawkeyes competed in the Big Ten Double Dual on April 11 and the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge on April 25. e two meets, making up the bulk of Iowa's spring compe- tition, allowed the team to fine-tune its crews for postseason. Iowa had a strong effort at the Big Ten Double Dual in Ann Arbor, Michigan, against No. 7 Michigan, Michigan State, and No. 15 Indiana. Michigan and Indiana qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2014, and earned national finishes of eighth and 11th. e Hawkeyes collected four victories against Michigan State, two over No. 7 Michigan, and one over No. 15 Indiana. "We were right with Michigan for the majority of the course," said UI head coach Andrew Carter. "I think we are on the right track. ere are a lot of positives to take away. We looked critically at how they raced and found areas where they can im- prove, so we will focus on that as we go." e Hawkeyes' success on the water has started to reflect in the rankings, with Iowa gaining several new votes in the CRCA/US Rowing Coaches Poll following their Double Dual performance. e Hawkeyes also earned a No. 5 ranking in Region IV of the most recent NCAA regional rankings. Aer a week of practice, Iowa put together another solid day at the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge against host Kansas, Oklahoma, and No. 8-ranked Wis- consin. e Hawkeyes earned 10 victories against Kansas and six over defending Big 12 Champion Oklahoma. "I think we need to find a little more speed to be competitive in the Big Ten, but we are taking steps in the right direc- tion," said Carter. Iowa competed in 12 races over two sessions, finishing first in five contests and runner-up in six additional sprints. e Hawkeyes finished in second place with 112 points. Wisconsin took first with 142, Oklahoma collected third with 73, and host Kansas finished fourth with 44. "Looking at how the races unfolded, I think we need to spend more time working on our sustain- ability at pace and push the boundaries of that pace," said Carter. "I don't think we have many holes le in our racing strategy. I would like to see everything shi forward a little more." e Hawkeyes conclude their regular season against Tennessee and Central Florida on May 2 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, before heading to Indiana to compete in the 2015 Big Ten Championship from May 16-17. REMAINING SCHEDULE May 2 Iowa at Tennessee/Central Florida 8 a.m. (CT) May 16 Iowa at Big Ten Championship 5 p.m. (CT) May 17 Iowa at Big Ten Championship 8 a.m. (CT)