The Alabama women’s rowing team had its first race of the season at the Head of the Oklahoma this Saturday, potentially setting the mood for the rest of the season. Three UA boats finished in the top 10 to start off the day. They ended up with six top five finishes and a first-place finish in the Grand Final.
Alabama set off with two groups for Collegiate 4+, which means there are four people in a shell, also known as a racing boat. As the season progresses, head coach Glenn Putyrae said the team aims to prosper increasingly with every practice and every race.
“This time of year, it’s not so much where we are today, but whether we are progressing toward May,” Putyrae said. “One of our goals this year is to get better every time we get on the water, and our crews met that goal today.”
Putyrae’s goal of continuous improvement was accomplished with a resulting first-place in the Collegiate 4+ 500-meter Grand Final with a finishing time of 1:42.9. The other group finished in sixth place.
In the Collegiate 8+ races, eight people in a shell, Alabama teams finished mainly in the top three spots, earning second and third place overall.
The Crimson Tide participated in three different Collegiate 2+ races, a pair in a shell where the athletes have one oar each, and finishing the last three races under the lights made for an exciting end to the day.
The rowing team will further its season with its next race, at home Oct. 28 at the Head of the Black Warrior.
