April 4, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -

The Notre Dame rowing team, in only its third season of varsity competition, is ranked 14th in the first US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Poll of the season. It marks the first time in the young history of the program that Notre Dame's top boat has been ranked nationally. The lightweight eight boat finished the 1999 season ranked 12th in the nation.

Notre Dame will compete against six ranked teams and four others receiving votes in the Jessop-Whittier Cup this weekend at the San Diego Crew Classic in San Diego, Calif. Included in Notre Dame's heat of the Jessop-Whittier Cup are No. 2 Washington, No. 7 California, No. 20 Oregon State, No. 18 Texas and Stanford, who received votes. In heat two are No. 12 Virginia, No. 9 USC, and Washington State, Clemson and San Diego State, all of whom received votes in the latest poll.

Women's NCAA Division I Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes) Points
1. Brown University (19) 475
2. University of Washington (5) 446
3. Princeton University 421
4. University of Michigan 381
5. Harvard University 328
6. Syracuse University 316
7t. University of California at Berkeley 313
7t. The Ohio State University 313
9. University of Southern California 298
10. Yale University 283
11. Boston University 272
12. University of Virginia 228
13. Rutgers University 143
14. University of Notre Dame 121
15. University of Iowa 118
16. Michigan State University 117
17. University of Wisconsin 88
18. University of Texas 55
19. Cornell University 54
20. Oregon State University 51

Others receiving votes: University of Pennsylvania 50, Northeastern University 30, Stanford University 30, Washington State University 29, Dartmouth College 25, Clemson University 23, University of Tulsa 12, University of Massachusetts 7, San Diego State University 6, Columbia University 4, and University of Miami 3.