The Alabama rowing team began its spring season winning 15 out of 16 races in both the 1,000 and  2,000-meter pieces over Eastern Michigan Saturday on the Black Warrior River.

Saturday’s performance mirrored last season’s season opener, also against Eastern Michigan, where Alabama got the sweep over 16 separate 1,000-meter pieces in that contest.

“I think that a big thing for us is [that] no matter where you are compared to other boats, you just have to keep pushing  and I think we really held ourselves to that standard today and pushed forward no matter what was going on in the racecourse,” senior Makena Clark said.

Alabama’s First Varsity 8+ crew finished with a 8:04.86 time. The Crimson Tide’s 2V8+ crew was the only one to technically not win as they were unable to finish the race after hitting a log. Alabama’s 1V8+ crew boasted the best time in the 1,000-meter race with a 4:15.8 time.

In the Varsity 4+, Alabama achieved the top times in both the 2,000-meter and 1,000 meter at 9:20.05 and 5:02.11 respectively.

Alabama’s dominant performance was highlighted from the fact that it was coach Glenn Putyrae’s first in-season race for the Crimson Tide, albeit a scrimmage.

“I think it went really well and I can’t’ complain with the results,” Putyrae said. “I said going in ‘we just want to see where we are and evaluate what kind of progress we made and then work on making adjustments moving forward and trying to get better’.”

Alabama will look to continue early season momentum going into the to-day Cardinal Invite beginning March 16 in Oak Ridge, Tenn.