Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, March 29
Sarasota, Fla.
Kansas State University
at
Sunshine State Invitational
K-State Earns Bronze Medal at Sunshine State Invitational
Apr 02, 2024 | Rowing
The 3v8+ boat won bronze in the Grand 'A' Final on Saturday
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State women's rowing team traveled to Sarasota, Fla. to compete in the two-day Sunshine State Invitational on Friday and Saturday (March 29-30) at Nathan Benderson Park.
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"This weekend was a good opportunity for us to go against some strong competition. The team has continued to show that they are strong enough and fit enough to race at a high level," head coach Patrick Sweeney said. "We're continuing to focus on strengthening our technique and finding lineups that will put us in a good position to medal by the time we get to Big 12s."
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Sixteen schools competed in the regatta, including Big 12 competitors UCF, Kansas and West Virginia. Competition on Friday consisted of racing in heats that determined whether crews would compete in the Grand 'A' Final or Petite 'B' final on Saturday. Two boats, the 1v4+ and 3v8+, qualified for 'A' finals on Saturday.
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"Racing at a large regatta like the Sunshine State Invitational really showed our boat where we stand among other programs that have more water time. The big takeaway was that we have the capability to compete hard, as well as show us that there is always ways to get more speed," junior Rachel Harman said.
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During heats on Friday, the 1v8+ came in 6th with a time of 7:20.63. Qualifying for the 'B' final on Saturday, the boat, consisting of junior coxswain Paige Fox, juniors Gracyn McClain, Madelyn Barrett, Harman, and Madison Koller, sophomores Grace Hall and Sylvia Cunningham, junior Symone Simmons and sophomore Kay Pakkebier, finished 3rd in their final at 6:47.04. The crew was faster than fellow Big 12 competitors KU and West Virginia during both races.
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"Our first race on Friday was good for shaking out the nerves. The wind picked up throughout the day and the team handled it well. Our first 250 meters were great and we finished the race clean, missing the "A" finals by just a few seconds," Harman said. "On Saturday conditions were good, and we went as hard as we could have over the course. We moved up on boats over the middle of the race and finished strong. Overall, two very solid races from the 1v8+."
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The 2v8+ finished 7th place in their heat at 7:31.60, with a lineup of sophomore coxswain Kennedy Loyd, junior Anna Ryan, sophomore Bianca Wollmeister, junior Emily Stark, sophomores Emma Johnson and Makenzie Storm and juniors Jayden Brandt, Halle Fee and Grace Hendrickson.
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On Saturday the lineup shifted to Loyd, Hendrickson, Wollmeister, Ryan, Johnson, Storm, Stark, Brandt and Fee. The crew finished at 7:06.64 coming in 5th place in their final.
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The 3v8+, during Friday's heats, consisted of freshman coxswain Regan Ahlers, senior Lindsey Devreugd and sophomore Ellie Erwin, freshmen Regan Reker, Izzy Ross, sophomore Ava Werner, freshmen Madelyn Navrkal, Harmony Leiker and Lorelei Harris, where they finished 4th with a time of 7:18.30, just one second behind 3rd place finisher Michigan State and 11 seconds ahead of Miami.
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"My favorite part of racing on Friday was around the 1000-meter mark. Ahlers made a "here come K-State call" and we all locked in and went for it," DeVreugd said. "I felt like we were the most connected we'd been and I think this set us up really well going into finals."
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"The first race had some nerves to it but we really worked together against the winds to finish strong even though the weather wasn't on our side," Ross said. "The second race, we gave it our all and really attacked the race. We were able to move up a position from the races the day before and medal in the finals."
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On Saturday the boat shifted to a starboard stroke seat and stern pair (Erwin and DeVreugd) swapped seats. Racing their fastest time of the season, the boat claimed a bronze medal in the 'A' final with a time of 6:54.22.
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"On Saturday, we really worked on our finish. We started it a bit earlier than usual and we got stronger and faster with each call made. It was really exciting to see how the younger girls in the boat pushed to get that medal," DeVreugd said.
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"We tried out a new lineup in our boat on Saturday morning so I'm looking forward to seeing how we come together in the upcoming weeks," DeVreugd said. "I'm really excited to continue getting faster and perfecting our race plans going into the rest of the season."
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The 1v4+ opened the weekend with a dominant performance in their heat, coming in first place with a time of 7:46.54. Their performance qualified them for the 'A' final on Saturday where the boat came in fourth place at 7:15.38. Â The lineup consisted of coxswain Kiersten Schmalz, juniors Neva Roenne and Jordan Girkin, freshman Anna Guhr and junior Catie Wood.
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"Our first race we were a little behind toward the beginning, but we kept making pushes. As a boat we really focused on a big push at the thousand which we did and then we kept making pushes till the end when we walked through the boats in front of us to finish first," Guhr said. "The second race was very close and though we didn't place, which is disappointing, it was our best race yet and something we know that we can improve on. It's very disappointing not to medal but that will be fuel in the fire for our coming races."
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The 2v4+, consisting of freshman coxswain Leah Roane, freshmen Emily Northcutt and Sienna Pargiter-Walker, sophomore Kyla Traub and freshman Kiersten Playter, came in 4th place on Friday at 8:37.35 to qualify for the 'B' final. The boat finished 5th in the Petite Final with a time of 8:03.58
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"We want to say thank you to UCF and Jacksonville for putting on this regatta. This weekend was a learning opportunity for our team. We know the work that has to be done to continue building boat speed," Sweeney said. "Our athletes are continuing to gain experience and improve. We're looking forward to building from the progress we've already made this season."
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K-State will get back on the water next weekend when they travel to Omaha, Neb. on Saturday (April 6) for the Creighton Duel.
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"Heading into next weekend I'm really excited to see what we can produce as a boat, coming off a strong third place finish," Ross said. "With this week to regroup and continue working together in our line up on the water, I think that will help us moving forward."
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"I'm excited for the races this coming weekend; they'll give us a chance to practice our race plan and really practice making our pushes," Guhr said.
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"Looking at Creighton this weekend, the team is excited to practice their race plans again. Any opportunity for racing is valuable," Harman said. "My boat is mainly looking to try out some things we learned from Florida and polish up before we have to face Iowa and Minnesota in a couple weeks."
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Sunshine State Invitational
Nathan Benderson Park
Sarasota, Fla.
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Friday Results
Second Varsity 4+
1. Kansas; 8:07.61, 2. Miami; 8:08.99, 3. UCF "B"; 8:24.42, 4. K-State; 8:37.35, 5. Louisville; 8:44.58
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First Varsity 4+
1. K-State; 7:46.54, 2. Miami; 7:47.29, 3. Michigan State; 7:49.44, 4. Jacksonville; 8:03.66, 5. Tulsa; 8:04.15,
6. WVU; 8:06.55, 7. Drexel; 8:09.52, 8. Boston College; 8:12.99
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Third Varsity 8+
1. Iowa; 7:13.98, 2. UCF; 7:16. 55, 3. Michigan State "A"; 7:17.39, 4. K-State; 7:18.30, 5. Miami; 7:29.36,
6. Kansas; 7:31.53, 7. Jacksonville; 7:35.54, 8. Michigan State "B"; 7:38.71
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Second Varsity 8+
1. Miami; 7:11.78, 2. Michigan State; 7:16.93, 3. Boston College; 7:18.75, 4. Tulsa; 7:20.01, 5. Drexel; 7:25.86,
6. Jacksonville; 7:29.15, 7. K-State; 7:31.60, 8. WVU; 7:45.36
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First Varsity 8+
1. Miami; 7:06.34, 2. Tulsa; 7:08.81, 3. Boston College; 7:10.91, 4. Michigan State; 7:14.14, 5. Drexel; 7:17.33,
6. K-State; 7:20.63, 7. Jacksonville; 7:23.33, 8. WVU; 7:43.49
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Saturday Results
First Varsity 8+
1. Louisville; 6:41.56, 2. Jacksonville; 6:46.18, 3. K-State; 6:47.04, 4. Kansas; 6:48.21, 5. Massachusetts; 6:55.00,
6. ODU; 6:55.10, 7. WVU; 6:56.74, 8. Stetson; 7:00.86
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Second Varsity 8+
1. Tulsa; 6:51.06, 2. Jacksonville; 6:54.78, 3. Massachusetts; 6:59.17, 4. WVU; 6:59.72, 5. K-State; 7:06.64,
6. Stetson; 7:14.44, 7. ODU; 7:18.66, 8. Drexel; 9:16.85
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Third Varsity 8+
1. UCF; 6:50.05, 2. Iowa; 6:50.46, 3. K-State; 6:54.22, 4. Michigan State "A"; 6:55.10, 5. Miami; 7:03.46,
6. Kansas; 7:06.42, 7. Jacksonville; 7:06.42, 8. Michigan State "B"; 7:23.07
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First Varsity 4+
1. UCF; 7:13.57, 2. UNC; 7:14.55, 3. Miami; 7:14.92, 4. K-State; 7:15.38, 5. Iowa; 7:17.66,
6. Massachusetts; 7:22.91, 7. Jacksonville; 7:27.97, 8. Michigan State; 7:28.17
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Second Varsity 4+
1. WVU; 7:40.73, 2. Jacksonville; 7:45.33, 3. UCF "B"; 7:50.64, 4. Louisville; 7:57.85, 5. K-State; 8:03.58
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K-State lineups
1v8+ lineup: Friday/Saturday
Coxswain: Paige Fox, Stroke: Gracyn McClain, 7. Madelyn Barrett, 6. Rachel Harman, 5. Madison Koller, 4. Grace Hall, 3. Sylvia Cunningham, 2. Symone Simmons, 1. Kay Pakkebier
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2v8+ lineup: Friday
Coxswain: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Anna Ryan, 7. Bianca Wollmeister, 6. Emily Stark, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Makenzie Storm, 3. Jayden Brandt, 2. Halle Fee, 1. Grace Hendrickson
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2v8+ lineup: Saturday
Coxswain: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Grace Hendrickson, 7. Bianca Wollmeister, 6. Anna Ryan, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Makenzie Storm, 3. Emily Stark, 2. Jayden Brandt, 1. Halle Fee
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3v8+ lineup: Friday
Coxswain: Regan Ahlers, Stroke: Ellie Erwin, 7. Lindsey DeVreugd, 6. Regan Reker, 5. Izzy Ross, 4. Ava Werner, 3. Madelyn Navrkal, 2. Harmony Leiker, 1. Lorelei Harris
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3v8+ lineup: Saturday
Coxswain: Regan Ahlers, Stroke: Lindsey DeVreugd, 7. Ellie Erwin, 6. Regan Reker, 5. Izzy Ross, 4. Ava Werner, 3. Madelyn Navrkal, 2. Harmony Leiker, 1. Lorelei Harris
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1v4+ lineup: Friday/Saturday
Coxswain: Kiersten Schmalz, Stroke: Neva Roenne, 3. Jordan Girkin, 2. Anna Guhr, 1. Catie Wood
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2v4+ lineup: Friday/Saturday
Coxswain: Leah Roane, Stroke: Emily Northcutt, 3. Sienna Pargiter-Walker, 2. Kyla Traub, 1. Kiersten Playter
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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 X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Instagram.
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"This weekend was a good opportunity for us to go against some strong competition. The team has continued to show that they are strong enough and fit enough to race at a high level," head coach Patrick Sweeney said. "We're continuing to focus on strengthening our technique and finding lineups that will put us in a good position to medal by the time we get to Big 12s."
Â
Sixteen schools competed in the regatta, including Big 12 competitors UCF, Kansas and West Virginia. Competition on Friday consisted of racing in heats that determined whether crews would compete in the Grand 'A' Final or Petite 'B' final on Saturday. Two boats, the 1v4+ and 3v8+, qualified for 'A' finals on Saturday.
Â
"Racing at a large regatta like the Sunshine State Invitational really showed our boat where we stand among other programs that have more water time. The big takeaway was that we have the capability to compete hard, as well as show us that there is always ways to get more speed," junior Rachel Harman said.
Â
During heats on Friday, the 1v8+ came in 6th with a time of 7:20.63. Qualifying for the 'B' final on Saturday, the boat, consisting of junior coxswain Paige Fox, juniors Gracyn McClain, Madelyn Barrett, Harman, and Madison Koller, sophomores Grace Hall and Sylvia Cunningham, junior Symone Simmons and sophomore Kay Pakkebier, finished 3rd in their final at 6:47.04. The crew was faster than fellow Big 12 competitors KU and West Virginia during both races.
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"Our first race on Friday was good for shaking out the nerves. The wind picked up throughout the day and the team handled it well. Our first 250 meters were great and we finished the race clean, missing the "A" finals by just a few seconds," Harman said. "On Saturday conditions were good, and we went as hard as we could have over the course. We moved up on boats over the middle of the race and finished strong. Overall, two very solid races from the 1v8+."
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The 2v8+ finished 7th place in their heat at 7:31.60, with a lineup of sophomore coxswain Kennedy Loyd, junior Anna Ryan, sophomore Bianca Wollmeister, junior Emily Stark, sophomores Emma Johnson and Makenzie Storm and juniors Jayden Brandt, Halle Fee and Grace Hendrickson.
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On Saturday the lineup shifted to Loyd, Hendrickson, Wollmeister, Ryan, Johnson, Storm, Stark, Brandt and Fee. The crew finished at 7:06.64 coming in 5th place in their final.
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The 3v8+, during Friday's heats, consisted of freshman coxswain Regan Ahlers, senior Lindsey Devreugd and sophomore Ellie Erwin, freshmen Regan Reker, Izzy Ross, sophomore Ava Werner, freshmen Madelyn Navrkal, Harmony Leiker and Lorelei Harris, where they finished 4th with a time of 7:18.30, just one second behind 3rd place finisher Michigan State and 11 seconds ahead of Miami.
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"My favorite part of racing on Friday was around the 1000-meter mark. Ahlers made a "here come K-State call" and we all locked in and went for it," DeVreugd said. "I felt like we were the most connected we'd been and I think this set us up really well going into finals."
Â
"The first race had some nerves to it but we really worked together against the winds to finish strong even though the weather wasn't on our side," Ross said. "The second race, we gave it our all and really attacked the race. We were able to move up a position from the races the day before and medal in the finals."
Â
On Saturday the boat shifted to a starboard stroke seat and stern pair (Erwin and DeVreugd) swapped seats. Racing their fastest time of the season, the boat claimed a bronze medal in the 'A' final with a time of 6:54.22.
Â
"On Saturday, we really worked on our finish. We started it a bit earlier than usual and we got stronger and faster with each call made. It was really exciting to see how the younger girls in the boat pushed to get that medal," DeVreugd said.
Â
"We tried out a new lineup in our boat on Saturday morning so I'm looking forward to seeing how we come together in the upcoming weeks," DeVreugd said. "I'm really excited to continue getting faster and perfecting our race plans going into the rest of the season."
Â
The 1v4+ opened the weekend with a dominant performance in their heat, coming in first place with a time of 7:46.54. Their performance qualified them for the 'A' final on Saturday where the boat came in fourth place at 7:15.38. Â The lineup consisted of coxswain Kiersten Schmalz, juniors Neva Roenne and Jordan Girkin, freshman Anna Guhr and junior Catie Wood.
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"Our first race we were a little behind toward the beginning, but we kept making pushes. As a boat we really focused on a big push at the thousand which we did and then we kept making pushes till the end when we walked through the boats in front of us to finish first," Guhr said. "The second race was very close and though we didn't place, which is disappointing, it was our best race yet and something we know that we can improve on. It's very disappointing not to medal but that will be fuel in the fire for our coming races."
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The 2v4+, consisting of freshman coxswain Leah Roane, freshmen Emily Northcutt and Sienna Pargiter-Walker, sophomore Kyla Traub and freshman Kiersten Playter, came in 4th place on Friday at 8:37.35 to qualify for the 'B' final. The boat finished 5th in the Petite Final with a time of 8:03.58
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"We want to say thank you to UCF and Jacksonville for putting on this regatta. This weekend was a learning opportunity for our team. We know the work that has to be done to continue building boat speed," Sweeney said. "Our athletes are continuing to gain experience and improve. We're looking forward to building from the progress we've already made this season."
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K-State will get back on the water next weekend when they travel to Omaha, Neb. on Saturday (April 6) for the Creighton Duel.
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"Heading into next weekend I'm really excited to see what we can produce as a boat, coming off a strong third place finish," Ross said. "With this week to regroup and continue working together in our line up on the water, I think that will help us moving forward."
Â
"I'm excited for the races this coming weekend; they'll give us a chance to practice our race plan and really practice making our pushes," Guhr said.
Â
"Looking at Creighton this weekend, the team is excited to practice their race plans again. Any opportunity for racing is valuable," Harman said. "My boat is mainly looking to try out some things we learned from Florida and polish up before we have to face Iowa and Minnesota in a couple weeks."
Â
Sunshine State Invitational
Nathan Benderson Park
Sarasota, Fla.
Â
Friday Results
Second Varsity 4+
1. Kansas; 8:07.61, 2. Miami; 8:08.99, 3. UCF "B"; 8:24.42, 4. K-State; 8:37.35, 5. Louisville; 8:44.58
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First Varsity 4+
1. K-State; 7:46.54, 2. Miami; 7:47.29, 3. Michigan State; 7:49.44, 4. Jacksonville; 8:03.66, 5. Tulsa; 8:04.15,
6. WVU; 8:06.55, 7. Drexel; 8:09.52, 8. Boston College; 8:12.99
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Third Varsity 8+
1. Iowa; 7:13.98, 2. UCF; 7:16. 55, 3. Michigan State "A"; 7:17.39, 4. K-State; 7:18.30, 5. Miami; 7:29.36,
6. Kansas; 7:31.53, 7. Jacksonville; 7:35.54, 8. Michigan State "B"; 7:38.71
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Second Varsity 8+
1. Miami; 7:11.78, 2. Michigan State; 7:16.93, 3. Boston College; 7:18.75, 4. Tulsa; 7:20.01, 5. Drexel; 7:25.86,
6. Jacksonville; 7:29.15, 7. K-State; 7:31.60, 8. WVU; 7:45.36
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First Varsity 8+
1. Miami; 7:06.34, 2. Tulsa; 7:08.81, 3. Boston College; 7:10.91, 4. Michigan State; 7:14.14, 5. Drexel; 7:17.33,
6. K-State; 7:20.63, 7. Jacksonville; 7:23.33, 8. WVU; 7:43.49
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Saturday Results
First Varsity 8+
1. Louisville; 6:41.56, 2. Jacksonville; 6:46.18, 3. K-State; 6:47.04, 4. Kansas; 6:48.21, 5. Massachusetts; 6:55.00,
6. ODU; 6:55.10, 7. WVU; 6:56.74, 8. Stetson; 7:00.86
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Second Varsity 8+
1. Tulsa; 6:51.06, 2. Jacksonville; 6:54.78, 3. Massachusetts; 6:59.17, 4. WVU; 6:59.72, 5. K-State; 7:06.64,
6. Stetson; 7:14.44, 7. ODU; 7:18.66, 8. Drexel; 9:16.85
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Third Varsity 8+
1. UCF; 6:50.05, 2. Iowa; 6:50.46, 3. K-State; 6:54.22, 4. Michigan State "A"; 6:55.10, 5. Miami; 7:03.46,
6. Kansas; 7:06.42, 7. Jacksonville; 7:06.42, 8. Michigan State "B"; 7:23.07
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First Varsity 4+
1. UCF; 7:13.57, 2. UNC; 7:14.55, 3. Miami; 7:14.92, 4. K-State; 7:15.38, 5. Iowa; 7:17.66,
6. Massachusetts; 7:22.91, 7. Jacksonville; 7:27.97, 8. Michigan State; 7:28.17
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Second Varsity 4+
1. WVU; 7:40.73, 2. Jacksonville; 7:45.33, 3. UCF "B"; 7:50.64, 4. Louisville; 7:57.85, 5. K-State; 8:03.58
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K-State lineups
1v8+ lineup: Friday/Saturday
Coxswain: Paige Fox, Stroke: Gracyn McClain, 7. Madelyn Barrett, 6. Rachel Harman, 5. Madison Koller, 4. Grace Hall, 3. Sylvia Cunningham, 2. Symone Simmons, 1. Kay Pakkebier
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2v8+ lineup: Friday
Coxswain: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Anna Ryan, 7. Bianca Wollmeister, 6. Emily Stark, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Makenzie Storm, 3. Jayden Brandt, 2. Halle Fee, 1. Grace Hendrickson
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2v8+ lineup: Saturday
Coxswain: Kennedy Loyd, Stroke: Grace Hendrickson, 7. Bianca Wollmeister, 6. Anna Ryan, 5. Emma Johnson, 4. Makenzie Storm, 3. Emily Stark, 2. Jayden Brandt, 1. Halle Fee
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3v8+ lineup: Friday
Coxswain: Regan Ahlers, Stroke: Ellie Erwin, 7. Lindsey DeVreugd, 6. Regan Reker, 5. Izzy Ross, 4. Ava Werner, 3. Madelyn Navrkal, 2. Harmony Leiker, 1. Lorelei Harris
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3v8+ lineup: Saturday
Coxswain: Regan Ahlers, Stroke: Lindsey DeVreugd, 7. Ellie Erwin, 6. Regan Reker, 5. Izzy Ross, 4. Ava Werner, 3. Madelyn Navrkal, 2. Harmony Leiker, 1. Lorelei Harris
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1v4+ lineup: Friday/Saturday
Coxswain: Kiersten Schmalz, Stroke: Neva Roenne, 3. Jordan Girkin, 2. Anna Guhr, 1. Catie Wood
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2v4+ lineup: Friday/Saturday
Coxswain: Leah Roane, Stroke: Emily Northcutt, 3. Sienna Pargiter-Walker, 2. Kyla Traub, 1. Kiersten Playter
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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 X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Instagram.
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