OMAHA, Neb. – The Drake University rowing team continues its spring season Saturday morning as the Bulldogs will race the Creighton Bluejays. The local rivals will compete in four different races, varsity 4+, 2nd varsity 4+, varsity 8+ and 2nd varsity 8+, on a 2,000-meter course on Carter Lake.
 
"Saturday will be a chance to use a couple of different lineups since the Lubbers," said head coach Charlie DiSilvestro. "We have had a couple of injuries in and out of the lineups, but we are at a good racing capacity. We are looking forward to getting back out and racing after the two weeks off."
 
Drake returns to the water after two weeks off since a successful but short trip to the Lubbers Cup on April 8-9 in Spring Lake, Mich. The Bulldogs were led by its varsity 8+ and 2nd varsity 8+ boats that took first place in both the morning and afternoon session races of the event's first day. The Bulldogs' varsity boat defeated host Grand Valley State and Marquette in the morning and then defeated Purdue and Ohio State in the afternoon. The 2nd varsity boat defeated Grand Valley in the morning and Purdue in the afternoon. Drake's varsity 4+ A boat also claimed first place in its afternoon race. All but one race the next day were cancelled due to high winds.
 
Drake and Creighton race each other twice each school year with the fall race held in Des Moines while the spring race is contested in the Omaha. Creighton edged Drake this past fall on the Des Moines River to claim the trophy awarded to the fall winner.
 
Drake has one more race, the MACRA Championship, next Sunday, April 30 in Batavia, Ohio before the team travels to Princeton, N.J. for the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship on May 12.