May 2, 2001

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Notre Dame rowing team is ranked 16th in the US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association poll for the week of May 2. Notre Dame gained two spots after finishing second overall at the BIG EAST Rowing Challenge.

At the BIG EAST Rowing Challenge, the Irish earned two silver and two bronze medals as the novice eight and the second varsity eight placed second, while the varsity eight and the varsity four placed third.

Notre Dame achieved its first national ranking in the three-year history of the varsity program earlier this season when it was ranked No. 14 in the nation in the first poll of the year.

The Irish are off this weekend before traveling to Oak Ridge, Tenn., Saturday-Sunday, May 12-13, for the Central Region Championships.

US Rowing/CRCA Open Eight Rowing Poll (for week of May 2, 2001)

Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points	Previous Rank
1. Brown (24)	499	1
2. University of Michigan (1)	468	2
3. Princeton University	439	3
4. University of Southern California	416	4
5. University of Washington	405	5
6. Syracuse University	371	6
7. Yale University	349	7
8. The Ohio State University	320	9
9. Harvard University	289	8
10. University of California at Berkeley	242	10
11. Michigan State University	241	12
12. Boston University	235	11
13. University of Iowa	186	13
14. University of Virginia	181	14
15. Rutgers University	180	15
16. University of Notre Dame	92	18
17. University of Wisconsin	81	16
18. Clemson University	72	17
19. Cornell University	54	NR
20. Washington State University	42	20

Others receiving votes: University of Pennsylvania 25, University of Texas 24, Northeastern University 12, Columbia University 9, Stanford University 9, Oregon State University 3, University of Tulsa 3, George Washington University 2, University of Miami 1.