MANHATTAN, Kan. The K-State rowing team will begin the 2007-08 season with the Head of Des Moines regatta in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sat., Sept. 29^th. The Wildcats return to the 24^th edition of the event, which is hosted by the Des Moines Rowing Club, for the first time since 2004.

The Cats will travel with seven boats in total.  K-State will field entries in the Collegiate Novice 4+ scheduled for 10:15 a.m., the Collegiate 8+ at 10:45 a.m., the Collegiate Novice 8+ at 2:00 p.m. and the Collegiate 4+ at 4:45 p.m. The course stretches across 2.85 miles with a start at the Des Moines Botanical Center and a finish line near the Prospect Park launch area. Other competitors in the field include Drake, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tulsa.

“We always look forward to the first race of the year,” head coach Pat Sweeney said. “It is a good time to break up the training a bit and have some fun. We use this race to play with our lineups a bit and move people around to see different combinations. It is also an exciting time as the Novices are competing for their first time ever. You never know what you will get out of their first race experience.”

Kansas State returns to the water after earning the Central Region crown in the Novice Eight Grand Final at the NCAA Central/South Region Sprints last season. The victory was a program first for the Wildcats, as was racing in the Grand Finals of the regional event.

Complete results from the 2007 Head of the Des Moines can be found on the Des Moines Rowing Club website, www.desmoinesrowing.org, www.row2k.com, or www.regattacentral.com. A recap of Kansas State races will be posted on www.kstatesports.com following completion of the event.

HEAD OF THE DES MOINES RACE SCHEDULE

Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007

Wildcat Entries:

10:15amCollegiate Novice 4+

10:45amCollegiate 8+

2:00pmCollegiate Novice 8+

4:45pmCollegiate 4+