No. 3 USC Faces Cross Town Rival No. 15 UCLA

The Women of Troy finish out their regular season against UCLA.

No. 3 USC Faces Cross Town Rival No. 15 UCLA

April 27, 2006 | Women's Rowing

April 27, 2006

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - This Week

The USC women's rowing team will host the fifth-annual dual race against UCLA this Saturday (April 29), at the USC Boathouse in the Port of Los Angeles at 9 a.m. The teams will race a Varsity Eight, JV Eight, Varsity Four and Novice Eight boat, with the overall winner earning all five points for the Lexus Gauntlet.

"After two weeks of work with no racing we are looking forward to this last race of the season against one of the top teams in the country," said head coach Zenon Babraj. "UCLA is a tough and very well coached team so we are expecting exciting and hard races on Saturday."

Saturday will be the Trojans' final outing in the regular season. On May 14 the Women of Troy will head to Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif., to compete in the Pac-10 Championships.

"Since this is such a big rivalry I think it will be close," said Varsity Eight coxswain Liz O'Neill. "I think it is important that we race properly and not focus that it is UCLA. It changes everything since it is a dual race."

Rankings The USC Varsity Eight boat is currently ranked third in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Coaches Poll. This is the highest ranking the Trojans have received since Zenon and Kelly Babraj took over the program in 2002. The Bruins are currently ranked 15th.

Battle for the Lexus Gauntlet Sunday's race will decide who will capture all five points awarded in women's rowing for the 2005-06 Lexus Gauntlet--a season long competition between USC and UCLA. USC currently leads the competition 57.5 to 32.5 with points still to be awarded in rowing, men's and women's track and field and baseball. The Trojans have clinched at least a tie for the Gauntlet.

Scoring USC and UCLA will be racing four boats, a Varsity Eight, JV Eight, Varsity Four and Novice Eight. The dual race winner will be determined by a point system similar to the one used at the Pac-10 Championships. Because there are only two boats in each race, three points will be awarded to the winner of the Varsity Eight, two to the JV Eight and one apiece to the winners of the Varsity Fours and Novice Eights.

Race History USC and UCLA began racing annually in 2002, the year that UCLA resurrected its rowing program. The Women of Troy have won all four dual meetings, and have beat the Bruins in 10 of the 15 total races over the past four years. Last season the Trojans captured the Varsity Eight and the JV Eight races, while UCLA won the Varsity Four and Novice Eight races.

Schedule for Saturday- USC vs. UCLA 9 a.m. -  Varsity Four9:20  a.m. - Varsity Eight10 a.m. - JV Eights11 a.m. - Novice Eights
 USC Lineups


Varsity Eight:Cox. Liz O'Neillstroke: Tatiana Boldyreva7. Magda Madziewicz6. Ligita Kaviere5. Dunja Pejcic4. Anna Efremova3. Diana Ivanova2. Simone Manhold1. Megan Biging
JV Eight:Cox: Lauren Cowanstroke: Kinga Marciszewska7. Jessica Smith6. Laura McDaniel5. Shelley Koskovich4. Phebe Greenwood3. Michaellyn Blando2. Robin Hextrum1. Lauren Derby
Varsity Four:Cox: Lisa Sabalvarostroke Nichole Fischbach3. Cassie Richardson2. Lyndsay Price1. Amy Sellmyer
Novice Eight:Cox: Denise Kobashikawa,Stroke: Lauren KlakJulia McIlvaineNichole FischbachCassie Richardson,Courtney PorterCali MunozClaire TenscherAngie DePetrillo-Bucci
 Directions to USC Boathouse:Take 110 South (pass 105 and 405 freeways).
Exit "C" Street.
Make a RIGHT at the stop sign at "Figueroa".
Make a LEFT on "Harry Bridges".
Make a RIGHT on "Avalon".
Make a LEFT on "Water Street".
Make a RIGHT on "Yacht St".
The boathouse is on the left past the fire station.