The Ohio State women’s rowing team was just happy to have made it to the 2003 NCAA Championships last weekend. But given the 25-30 mph winds and three-foot waves crashing down on the Buckeyes’ boats, they might have thought otherwise.

Despite the unbearable weather conditions, OSU placed eighth out of 12 teams, scoring 38 points overall at Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis.

“I thought we did well; eighth in the country,” said OSU women’s rowing coach Andy Teitelbaum. “This program has achieved some great things, and we are truly one of the elite teams in the country.”

Leading the way for the No. 8 Buckeyes was their first varsity 4, which came in fourth (7:30.02) and was six seconds away from ousting Michigan. The fourth-place finish ties the best first varsity 4 performance for OSU in the program’s eight-year history.

“It was a really great race,” said sophomore Jamie Berning, coxswain of the first varsity 4. “Everybody was fast, and we were happy with our finish.”

The closest race came with the Buckeye first varsity 8, which rowed to a ninth-place finish, taking third in the Petite Final (6:23.95). Princeton nipped OSU by 0.47 seconds (6:23.48) in the first varsity 8 competition. That score allowed the Tigers to take the seventh-place spot in the overall standings because both teams compiled 38 points.

“We were in fifth place until the 500-meter mark, then sprinted past Yale and California,” said senior Maxi Meissner, stroke of the first varsity 8. “All the boats performed really well in the last races, which really matters.”

Rounding out OSU’s strong outing was the second varsity 8. The rowers took sixth overall, but the performance (6:43.80) was the second-best national finish in program history. Two seconds faster, and the second varsity 8 would have jumped up to fourth, where Princeton sat with a 6:41.99 time.

“The racing was so crazy – it was exciting and interesting,” said sophomore Maggie Kathman, stroke of the second varsity 8. “You easily had a chance to get last or first place.”

Postseason Awards

Teitelbaum was named Central Region Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. Meissner, senior Karla Fiserova and sophomore Franziska Schubert made First Team All-Central Region. Junior Natalie Legge was named to the second team. Meissner and Fiserova also gained First Team All-Big Ten honors.