SPRING LAKE, Mich. – The Drake University rowing team will open its 2017 season at the Lubbers Cup on Saturday. The annual event is hosted by Grand Valley State's club team and this year the two-day event will be held April 8-9 on a 2,000-meter course on Spring Lake. Saturday will feature two separate racing sessions, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, and then close with a morning session Sunday. Drake will have all three of its boats, the varsity 8, 2^nd varsity and varsity 4, participate both days in Michigan.
 
Drake will compete against a challenging field that features teams from Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Grand Valley State, Marquette, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Purdue.
 
"We have been training hard the last three months for this first official race," said head coach Charlie DiSilvestro. "We are excited to have a race with set lineups and go up against some very strong completion. Grand Valley and Purdue are the top two club teams in the country and Eastern Michigan is a strong division I team. We will have lots of racing for all three boats and will put to use the race planning and technical work we have worked on at practice. Now it is time to go out and execute."
 
Following the Lubbers Cup, Drake will have a week off before returning to the water on April 22. The Bulldogs will travel to Omaha, Neb. to face nearby rival Creighton in the annual spring duel between the teams.
 
Drake Race Schedule
*all times central standard time
Saturday
8:32 a.m. – Varsity 8
10:20 a.m. – 2^nd varsity 8
10:58 a.m. – open varsity 4
2:48 p.m. – open varsity 4
2:56 p.m. – open varsity 4
3:44 p.m. – 2^nd varsity 8
4:28 p.m. – varsity 8
 
Sunday
7:30 a.m. – varsity 8
8:32 a.m. – 2^nd varsity 8
10:20 a.m. – open varsity 4
10:28 a.m. – open varsity 4
10:36 a.m. – open varsity 4