March 26, 2004 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The University of Washington men's varsity eight, the national championship runner-up last season, is ranked second in the preseason poll produced by USRowing. Harvard, which edged the Huskies for the 2003 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) title, received 11 first-place votes en route to the No. 1 ranking. Washington received the remaining two first-place votes. Princeton and California tied for the No. 3 spot followed by Brown and Wisconsin which tied for fifth. The Huskies return six rowers from last year's top boat that won the Pacific-10 Conference championship and claimed the silver medal at the IRA Championships. A seventh returning rower, Ian Sawyer, joined the Husky varsity eight that won the Ladies Challenge Plate at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in England. Bob Ernst begins his 30th season on the UW rowing staff, his 17th as the men's head coach. Ernst seeks to direct the Huskies to their first national championship since 1997. The Huskies begin the 2004 spring season Saturday with the annual Class Day Regatta. Racing begins at 10 a.m. on the Montlake Cut. The first intercollegiate competition is April 3-4 at the San Diego Crew Classic.
2004 Collegiate Men's Rowing Preseason Poll
Rank School 1st-place votes) Points 1. Harvard (11) 258 2. WASHINGTON (2) 244 3t. Princeton 228 |
