For the final race before Conference USA Championships, the Alabama rowing team will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to compete in the Dale England Cup on Friday.

At the regatta, the team will face opponents from Indiana University, Notre Dame and Rhode Island.

The Crimson Tide will enter the match coming off what coach Larry Davis called a positive showing in the Knecht Cup Regatta on April 12, where the team had two top-10 finishes.

Alabama’s novice eight finished ninth overall in the Knecht Cup regatta, coming in third in the Petite Final. The second varsity eight boat also finished third in the Petite Final and ninth overall. Also, the first varsity eight finished 12th overall, with the first varsity four coming in 15th overall.

(See also “Rowing team readies for Knecht Cup“)

“Team-wise, we had a much better performance,” Davis said. “It’s not where we want to be yet, but we are certainly making good progress.”

He also said the showing in the Knecht Cup will set the tone for the race this weekend, where Alabama will face stiff competition.

“We wanted to set the tone for what we want to accomplish,” Davis said. “We’re going to see some very good teams this weekend, based on their speed earlier this year.”

Junior captain Logan O’Neil said the race prepared the team because of the changing weather conditions.

“We got a chance to see a lot of fast teams there, so that’s one thing that will really help us,” she said. “Additionally, Saturday was calm, but Sunday, the wind picked up, and that really helped us prepare for the race in Indiana.”

As the Crimson Tide approaches Conference USA Championships, O’Neil said the team has been working on specific changes in an attempt to improve its speed.

“We’re just making some really fine-tuned technical changes,” she said. “We’ve been working toward those a lot this past week. What’s really exciting is that we’re all very focused and motivated toward making whatever changes and doing whatever we can to make the boats move faster.”

(See also “Blackington sees improvement for Alabama rowing team“)

In addition to these changes, Davis said the team has been working on mental changes throughout the entire season.

“We want to get that confidence that we can row with everyone,” he said. “If we put our best race on the water, we can compete. We want to continue that through this weekend and through conference championships.”

Following the conclusion of its spring season, the team is looking forward to the opening of the new rowing facility at Manderson Landing, which will open later this summer.

(See also “UA rowing team awaits new boathouse“)

“I think we already have a great amount of pride in our team, but the new facilities are going to boost that even more,” O’Neil said. “To have a presence on campus is going to be really exciting for us.”