Nov. 8, 2009

Chattanooga, Tennessee - The University of Tulsa women's rowing team completed the fall season with a bronze medal in the Open 8+ race today at the Head of the Hooch on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

"We have had a really good fall," Head Coach Kevin Harris said. "This regatta was a good cap to all the work we've been doing this season. Being competitive in the fall is important because it will help point us toward a successful spring season. We have made tremendous gains in the lightweights, open weights and novice crews throughout the fall. I am proud of the work they've done and am anxious for the spring."

TU's Open 8+ `A' turned in a time of 14:40.7, the third best in a field of 24 boats. The Tulsa `B' boat trailed by 16 seconds to finish fourth, while the Tulsa Lightweights and Tulsa `C' boats claimed ninth and 11th-place finishes, respectively.

"I told the team that this is the best fall we've had in the four years I've been here," Aidan Leddy said. "I am so thankful and blessed to be a part of it. This regatta and our fall season have helped prepare us to be competitive this spring. We saw a lot of competition this weekend that we will see again this year, and now we can look at what we did well and what we can improve on during the spring."

Carla Horne raced her Championship 1x to a sixth-place mark in a time of 17:59.1, while Katie Holtvogt finished 10th and Jennifer Anderson was 15th in a field of 18 crews.

TU's Graduate Assistant Coach Michelle Sechser raced for the Tulsa Rowing Club and captured a gold medal in the Lightweight 1x with her time of 17:18.9, more than 26 seconds faster than second-place Oklahoma City.

Championship 1x (18 boats)
1. Stefanie Kozuszek - 16:54.0
2. Fairmount Rowing - 17:15.0
3. Duke - 17:39.4
6. Carla Horne - 17:59.1
10. Katie Holtvogt - 18:16.4
15. Jennifer Anderson - 19:34.9
Lightweight 1x (11 boats)
1. Michelle Sechser - 17:18.9
2. Oklahoma City - 17:44.6
3. Vesper Boat Club - 17:47.9
Open 8+ (24 boats)
1. Clemson `C' - 14:03.8
2. Clemson `B' - 14:31.1
3. Tulsa `A' - 14:40.7
4. Tulsa `B' - 14:56.2
9. Tulsa Lightweights - 15:25.3
11. Tulsa `C' - 15:32.8