K-State Travels to Tennessee for SIRA Championships

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State women's rowing team will travel to Oak Ridge, Tenn., to compete at the 2023 Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championships Regatta on Melton Hill Lake on Saturday (April 15) and Sunday (April 16).

The Wildcats will compete in their first race at 8:29 a.m., CT on Saturday with the Novice 8+ (N8+) who will only race once on Saturday. The Second Varsity 8+ will begin time trials at 8:48 a.m., CT. Two boats (the 1v4+ and 2v4+) will race at 9:24 a.m., CT in the Varsity 4+ event, while the First Varsity 8+ will follow at 10:05 a.m., CT. Semifinals will take place Saturday afternoon with the 2v8+ competing at 2:42 p.m., CT, the 1v4+ and 2v4+ at 3:18 p.m., CT and the 1v8+ at 4 p.m., CT.

Finals will take place on Sunday morning and the Wildcats will aim to have all boats qualify for medals. Race times for Sunday are to be determined.

"In preparing for this weekend, we've been fortunate to get a few good days on the water for training," said head coach Patrick Sweeney. "We're looking forward to seeing how each crew performs. At this point in the season we are still working to finalize lineups and find as much speed as possible. Each race has been an opportunity to continue learning and working to find the best combinations possible for every boat."

The SIRA Championships will be the third regatta of the season for the Wildcats following the Hornet Invitational on March 18 and the Sunshine State Invitational on March 31 to April 1.

Most recently, the Wildcats earned a pair of medals at the Sunshine State Invitational with the 2v4+ winning a gold medal and the 3v8+ taking home a bronze medal.

"The team has continued to do well despite the challenges we have faced this season," said Sweeney. "We know that we are young and still gaining experience, but all of our athletes have continued to show up every race. We haven't had a typical spring season, with lack of water time and the changes to our spring training camp, but our team has continued to push forward and make progress. It's going to be an interesting weekend to see what we are capable of."

K-State had a strong showing in its last visit to the SIRA Championships in 2022, as the Wildcats earned three gold medals in the 1v8+, the 3v8+ and the 1v4+. The 2v4+ also walked away with a silver medal.

"This weekend is a good check point when we are thinking about the rest of the season," said Sweeney. "We're coming up on the end of our season where some of our biggest and most difficult races are scheduled. Everything is meant to be preparation so we can be as ready as possible for each of those races."

Following SIRA, K-State will continue its 2023 spring season with the Creighton Duel on Saturday, April 22. The team will then race in state rival Kansas on Saturday, April 29 before concluding the regular season at the Big 12 Conference Championship in May.

How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Rowing Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Kansas State University Athletics

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