Kansas State University
Head of the Oklahoma
K-State Rowing Begins Fall Season with the Head of the Oklahoma
Oct 05, 2017 | Rowing
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State women's rowing team will compete in its first of two fall races on Saturday October 7, as the team kicks off the season at the Head of the Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The race will take place on the Oklahoma River, and give the Wildcats their first taste of competition this season.
K-State will have three boats in the Women's Collegiate 8+ event, which launches at 12:30 p.m. CT, three boats in the Women's Collegiate 4+ event, which launches at 4:20 p.m. CT, one boat in the Women's Collegiate Novice/Frosh 4+ event, which launches at 1:10 p.m. CT and one boat in the Women's Collegiate Novice/Frosh 8+ event, which launches at 4:45 p.m. CT.
The Head of the Oklahoma features a 2.5-mile head race course, meaning each team will launch individually and race against the clock. The fastest time, wins the event. This is different than the side-by-side lane racing done in the spring racing season. The long-distance event gives the Wildcats a chance to break out of their practice routine and compete against other teams, including Oklahoma, Tulsa, and SMU, among others.
"The fall races really help break up the training, and it gives them something to focus on," head coach Patrick Sweeney said of the team's first race of the fall season. "Since it is a distance race, we are trying to see how the endurance and technique is, and how it holds up under pressure."
With Saturday marking the first of only two meets on the fall schedule, it is evident that the bulk of the fall season centers on training and the preparation for the spring racing season. Headlined by three seniors, the Wildcats are focusing on establishing a rhythm, and developing it as the season progresses.
Last year the Wildcats fared well at the Head of the Oklahoma, with a first-place finish in the Women's Collegiate Novice/Frosh 8+ event.
Following Saturday's Head of the Oklahoma regatta, the Wildcats will return to competition on Sunday, October 22 at the Jayhawk Jamboree in Lawrence, Kansas, to round out the fall racing season.
For more information on this week's race, including a list of entries, schedules and results, visit the regatta website here.
For the latest on K-State Rowing, follow @kstatesports and @KStateROW on Twitter using the hashtag #KStateROW or on the team's Facebook page.
