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The Daily Tar Heel

UNC rowing performs well at Occoquan Sprints

The third race of the spring season for the North Carolina women’s rowing team provided a new challenge for the racers competing in the Occoquan Sprints this weekend — a challenge that left coach Sarah Haney pleased, and ready for more.

“We were really proud of how our team handled the competition; six boats across from start to finish,” Haney said.

The event in the Occoquan Reservoir, Virginia, marked the first race that was championship style and also the first event that involved six boats racing at one time.

Previously, the Tar Heels competed in races that featured just two boats in the water at the same time.

With championship style races, the team has to finish well during the first heat to make it to the finals.

“We felt really good about what we were able to do and obviously after you qualify and move into the
finals your next goal is to have another successful race,” Haney said. “I felt like we responded well in the second races of the day.

“So for our first time in a championship style race for the year, we felt really good about what our team and our program put out this afternoon.”

For senior varsity rower Carie Mastrianni, the new racing format is more enjoyable despite the added challenge of four extra opponents.

“I think it is a lot more fun because it’s a buoy course and there are just so many people around you, so you have more competition,” she said.

Even though this race is more exciting she acknowledged the need to adapt.

“I know from a coxswain standpoint I have to adjust by making sure I find all the boats on the race course and can tell where every one is,” Mastrianni said. “And from a rower’s standpoint they just have to get used to having people around them… just because they are beating lane four doesn’t mean they are beating lane two.”

Mastrianni was the coxswain of a second varsity eight team that finished fourth in the first heat, before coming back to win the petite final.

“We learned that just because we have one race that we are not happy with, that we (still) have to be able to turn it around, and we did,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to come off a race where we pretty much kicked everyone’s ass, and it gives you a little confidence going in to next weekend.”

Haney was pleased with the strides that were taken this weekend and hopes that it will translate to more success next weekend in the Knecht Cup.

“It was a great precursor for next weekend in New Jersey,” Haney said. “Next weekend we go to a little bit more of a competitive race, (but) a similar format as this weekend.

“The coaches are just going to talk to our group about the confidence that they gained from this weekend and we follow our race plan; follow what we know we do well and apply it to next weekend.”

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