8 months ago
SACRAMENTO, CA - For the first time in 107 years, the Intercollegiate Rowing Championship will be held west of the Mississippi.
The Sacramento State Aquatic Center at Lake Natoma will host the event, as 33 of the best men's college rowing teams will compete for the National Championships.
Stanford, Cal and Santa Clara, are the only schools from Northern California.
"There is no homecourt advantage," said Stanford Head Coach Craig Amerkhanian. "You have an event that is wide open, and a course that is really fair."
But Cal Head Coach Mike Teti, who also coached the Olympic Rowing Team for the past 12 years, says having more alumni and fans watching will add more pressure.
"When we won the gold medal at the Olympics I had three emails. When we (Cal) won the San Diego Crew Classic within 15 minutes of crossing the line, I had 28 text messages, I had 18 voicemails, and I didn't check my email," said Teti with a smile. "I have been made aware that rowing at Cal is more important than the Olympics. There is a lot of pressure."
The IRA Championships begin Thursday morning at Lake Natoma, the finals are on Saturday.
KXTV/News10
