OAK RIDGE, Tenn. The Kansas State women’s rowing team closed out the 2005-06 season with a tied for seventh finish at the Aramark NCAA Central/South Region Sprints held Sunday on Melton Hill Lake.

The Wildcats posted their best finish ever in program history at the NCAA Regional qualifying event. Kansas State tied Iowa with 144 points, a significant finish for the rowing program due to the highly-competitive field.

Six of the crews which finished ahead of K-State were ranked among the top 20 in the latest USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eight Coaches Poll including regional champion and fourth-ranked Ohio State with 366 points. The Buckeyes were trailed by No. 20 Wisconsin (361), No. 10 Notre Dame (336), No. 6 Michigan (317), No. 14 Michigan State (312) and No. 9 Minnesota (279).

The First Varsity Eight took third in the C Final with a time of 6 minutes, 57.13 seconds, followed by in-state rival Kansas (6:59.79), Clemson (7:00.07) and Texas (7:06.30). It marked the first time the 1V8 beat Texas in spring championship racing since 1997.

Overall, K-State finished 13th and was the highest-placing Big 12 Conference school among all 21 crews. The Wildcats finished ahead of Miami (Fla.), Texas, Indiana, KU, Clemson, North Carolina, Cincinnati and SMU.

“We are really pleased with the whole team’s performance,” Kansas State head coach Patrick Sweeney said. “Each individual boat did well and that’s what we really set out to do this year. We made it a real team effort and everyone went out for a team result. To tie with Iowa in the Central Region and beat Texas in the Varsity Eight, it shows we have exceeded what we thought we would accomplish here. We built up our momentum throughout the season and came through at the right time.”

The Second Varsity Eight (7:04.10) gave the Wildcats a big push in the team scoring, after winning the C Final by nearly four seconds ahead of Iowa (7:08.00). They also defeated Miami, Cincinnati, UNC and KU to finish seventh in their respective race. Complete race results can be accessed at: www.row2K.com.

The NCAA Central Region Sprints marked the final race for five graduating seniors including Kristin Alstatt of Hays, Kan., Stephanie Black of Olympia, Wash., Jacque Crockford of Hutchinson, Kan., Jamie Holt of Burke, Va., and Megan Hauver of Lansing, Kan. Hauver competed in the 1V8 and Alstatt, Black, Crockford and Holt in the 2V8.

“It’s really good for the seniors to finish their careers on a high note,” Sweeney said. “They all rowed well technically and when you use what you have learned at the right time is great. The Second Varsity Eight (which had four seniors) really dominated their race. It’s always nice to beat teams and we will keep plugging away one-by-one next season.”

NCAA CENTRAL/SOUTH REGION SPRINTS

May 13-14, 2006

Melton Hill Lake

at Oak Ridge, Tenn.

OVERALL STANDINGS 1, Ohio State (366), 2, Wisconsin (361), 3, Notre Dame (336), 4, Michigan (317), 5, Michigan State (312), 6, Tennessee (294), 7, Virginia (284), 8, Minnesota (279), 9, Louisville (227), 10, Central Florida (193), 11, Duke (185), 12, Iowa (144), 13, Kansas State (144), 14, Miami (142), 15, Texas (136), 16, Indiana (102), 17, Kansas (98), 18, Clemson (86), 19, North Carolina (59), 20, Cincinnati (54), 21, SMU (9).

CENTRAL REGION STANDINGS 1, Ohio State (366), 2, Wisconsin (361), 3, Notre Dame (336), 4, Michigan (317), 5, Michigan State (312), 6, Minnesota (279), 7T, Iowa (144), 7T, Kansas State (144), 9, Indiana (102), 10, Kansas (98), 11, Cincinnati (54).

PETITE FINAL

FIRST NOVICE EIGHT 1, Notre Dame, 7:09.90, 2, Kansas, 7:14.77, 3, Kansas State, 7:18.11, 4, Central Florida, 7:20.89, 5, North Carolina, 7:21.16, 6, Iowa, 7:23.60.

FIRST VARSITY FOUR 1, Texas, 7:38.40, 2, Tennessee, 7:45.13, 3, Central Florida, 7:47.56, 4, Notre Dame, 7:47.87, 5, Louisville, 7:51.16, 6, Kansas State, 7:56.44.

C FINAL

FIRST VARSITY EIGHT 1, Miami (Fla.), 6:55.10, 2, Indiana, 6:56.71, 3, Kansas State, 6:57.13, 4, Kansas, 6:59.79, 5, Clemson, 7:00.07, 6, Texas, 7:06.30.

SECOND VARSITY EIGHT 1, Kansas State, 7:04.10, 2, Iowa, 7:08.00, 3, Miami (Fla.), 7:10.02, 4, Cincinnati, 7:11.12, 5, North Carolina, 7:13.56, 6, Kansas, 7:25.05.