Wildcats Compete in Big 12 Championship in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas– The K-State women's rowing team travels to Austin, Texas to compete in the Big 12 Championship on Sunday (May 14) at Lake Walter E. Long. All races will be streamed on ESPN+.

Due to weather conditions, including potential storms in the area, races may be moved up to Saturday. Any changes will be communicated via social media when possible. Athletes and spectators should be ready for races to occur on Saturday or Sunday when ideal conditions are available. The Big 12 Conference plans to make a decision this evening (May 12). Provisional race schedule, Sunday (May 14):

First Varsity 8+ (1v8+) 9:00 a.m.
Second Varsity 8+ (2v8+) 9:10 a.m.
First Varsity 4+ (1v4+) 9:20 a.m.
Second Varsity 4+ (2v4+) 9:30 a.m.
Third Varsity 8+ (3v8+) 9:40 a.m.

The award ceremony, including medals and recognition of All-Big 12 Rowing team members, will immediately follow the last race.

The Wildcats look to wrap up a successful season as they prepare to compete at Big 12s. With each race, the team has continued to build speed and respond to adversity throughout the season.

"For a young team, they have done exceptionally well this season. Our athletes have gained a lot of experience, and they have learned how to race hard and perform when required," head coach Patrick Sweeney said. "Our goal is to finish the season the same way, racing strong. We want to see what each boat is capable of when they really blast it and put everything on the line."

Previously the 'Cats saw the 2v4+ earn a gold medal and the 3v8+ earn a bronze at the Sunshine State Invitational (March 31- April 1). K-State then had 4 boats medal at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship (April 16-17), with the 1v8+, 2v8+, and 3v8+ securing gold to win their respective events. The 1v4+ walked away with a silver medal.

The team then went on to complete a clean sweep against Creighton (April 22) as each boat battled through low temperatures and snow on race day.

Each competition has been a learning opportunity as the program prepared for this weekend.

"Coming into this weekend, we knew with how well they performed against KU, then going into finals week, this would be a hard time of year to focus. That's part of learning, being able to refocus and handle the outside influences," Sweeney said. "Our athletes have shown a lot of maturity this season, being adaptable and handling everything. We're excited for what the future holds thinking about building from here."

Most recently, the Wildcats won the Kansas Cup for the first time since 2019 with the 1v8+, 2v8+, and 3v8+ beating in-state rival Kansas. The 1v8+ also earned conference recognition as Big 12 Boat of the Week following their performance at the Sunflower Showdown (April 29), where they won by a margin of almost eight seconds.

While the team is looking forward to the future of the program, they remain focused on finishing the season strong.

"We have one race left, one more time on the course to leave everything out there," Sweeney said. "We're in a good position and we're looking forward to seeing what our athletes can accomplish this weekend."

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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