MANHATTAN, Kan. With one regatta remaining on the spring slate, the Kansas State women’s rowing team has used the last two weeks to tune up for the 2004 Lexus Central/Southern Sprints on May 15-16 in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Hosted by the University of Tennessee in conjunction with the Oak Ridge Rowing Association, the Lexus Sprints is a qualifier for the upcoming 2004 NCAA Championships on May 28-30 in Sacramento, Calif.

The Wildcats last competed in unofficial short-meter races at the wind-hampered Big 12 Invitational on May 1, but the team’s last official race was on April 17 at the Southern IRA’s also held in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

A total of 23 collegiate teams are expected to test the 2,000-meter course at Melton Hill Lake. The top eight seeded teams entered in the First Varsity Eight race are currently ranked among the nation’s top 20 in the latest USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coaches Poll, while three are receiving votes.

Over half of the Lexus field hails from the Central Region including No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 11 Michigan State and No. 14 Notre Dame, forming one of the strongest season-ending regional competitions in the nation. The Pac-10 Conference currently has four teams ranked in the top 20 and the Ivy League has five teams.

“In our final racing, we hope to culminate the year’s work into our best performances,” Head Coach Patrick Sweeney said. “We want to send our seniors off with a weekend of great racing.”

Last season, K-State's First Varsity Eight placed 13th in a field of 21 boats and the Second Varsity Eight finished 11th in a field of 14. The Wildcats have three shells (1V8, 2V8 and 1N8) entered in this weekend’s regatta seeded 15th, 16th and fifth respectively.

The top team to emerge from each of the Central and Southern regions earn an automatic bid to NCAAs. The rest of the crews will try to post good regional results, to be determined by the NCAA committee for postseason selection. Saturday’s race schedule includes morning heats and afternoon semifinals, while race finals will be held on Sunday.

Complete results and times from the 2004 Lexus Central/Southern Sprints can be accessed at: www.utladyvols.com.

KANSAS STATE RACE SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 15
1N8 - Heat at 9:10 a.m. / Semifinals at  2:00 or 2:10 p.m.
2V8 - Heat at 10:40 a.m. / Semifinals at 2:50, 3:00, 3:10 or 3:20 p.m.
1V8 - Heat at 11:00 a.m. / Semifinals at 3:30, 3:40, 3:50 or 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 16
D Level Finals: 9:00, 9:10 a.m.
C Level Finals: 9:20, 9:30, 9:40, 9:50 a.m.
B Finals: 1N8 - 10:10 a.m., 2V8 - 11:10 a.m., 1V8 - 11:30 a.m.
A Finals: 1N8 - 10:20 a.m., 2V8 - 11:20 a.m., 1V8 - 11:40 a.m.

KANSAS STATE LINEUPS
1V8: Cox: Elane Walker, 8: Linzi Hauldren, 7: Lori Holcomb, 6: Lara Schrock, 5: Angela Murray, 4: Grace Riekenberg, 3: Amiee Finkbeiner, 2: Courtney Franssen, 1: Megan Hauver.

2V8: Cox: Stephanie Riegle, 8: Katie Baxter, 7: Kristin Alstatt, 6: Megan Burki, 5: Jamie Holt, 4: Amy Wagner, 3: Veronica Noonan, 2: Erin Erhart, 1: Kirsten Clevenger.

1N8: Cox: Julie Tharp, 8: Magda Hart, 7: Stacey Waldman, 6: Danielle Scott, 5: Morgan Steele, 4: Katie Williams, 3: Larissa Kesler, 2: Rachel Freeman, 1: Kaci Williams.

Spare: Heather Martin