WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Drake University rowing team travels to the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship this Sunday with the winner of the annual conference championship securing a bid to the NCAA Championship held May 27-29 in Gold River, Calif. The MAAC championship will be held in Mercer County Park on Lake Mercer and the course will be 2,000 meters. Be sure to visit the MAAC Championship central page for updates and news.
 
Drake is vying to win its second MAAC title in program history. The Bulldogs will compete against nine fellow MAAC schools Sunday with a format that includes three races (Varsity 8+, 2nd Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+) with heats and finals for each with the top three boats in each initial heat advancing to the grand final while the other boats move to petite finals. The school with the highest point total from the results of the races will be the conference champion.
 
"Each year our conference gets faster and faster so we need to be faster," said head coach Charlie DiSilvestro. "We have continued to make improvements and build on each of our races. Every race we have had one or two boats perform really well, now it is time for all three boats to perform in six races/heats."
 
Drake will have an opportunity to practice on the course on Saturday to prepare for Sunday. The Bulldogs last competed at the 2016 MACRA Championship, April 24, in southern Ohio. Drake has raced in its all its scheduled races this spring in addition to having winter training in the Tampa, Fla. area and a week of spring break training in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
 
"Training has gone really well these past two weeks after MACRA," DiSilvestro said. "We are wrapping up finals this week so it will be nice to move past the stress those bring and head to the championship to have fun and send our seniors out with a championship, that is the goal."
 
2016 MAAC Championship - Drake Lineups
V4+ – Sadie Robb (cox) (Norwood, Iowa), Elaine Fickau (Mukwonago, Wis.), Erica Thacker (Johnston, Iowa), Madeline Killian (Mendota Heights, Minn.), Elise Nikolic (Champlin, Minn.)
 
2V8+ - Miranda Peterson (cox) (Duluth, Minn.), Madison Peterson (River Forrest, Ill.), Tristina Meister (Mitchell, Neb.), Alex Lueck (West Allis, Wis.), Jessica Rebischke (Lakeville, Minn.), Liz Long (Dayton, Ohio), Julie Shipley (St. Louis, Mo.), Shelley Hunter (Ontario, Calif.), Taylor Schaben (Portsmouth, Iowa)
 
V8+ - Bri Varela (cox) (Olathe, Kan.), Sarah Frantik (Oswego, Ill.), Kayla Caldwell (St. Charles, Ill.), Gabrielle Brodek (Hampden, Maine), Sarah Larson (Watertown, S.D.), Kerstin Donat (Vilsbiburg, Germany), Kelsey Leahy (Madison, Wis.), Emily Householter (Wheaton, Ill.), Haley Abrams (Byron, Minn.)
 
Alternate – Lauren Bascio (Springfield, Ill.)