RALEIGH, N.C. – The tenth-ranked University of Pennsylvania women's rowing team completed the first day of the Lake Wheeler Invitational. The two-day event is being co-hosted by Duke and North Carolina.
 
Penn's sixth-ranked Varsity Eight went 9-1 on the day, the only loss coming in the morning race to Tennessee's fourth-ranked boat. The Second Varsity Eight, ranked 13th, fell to a pair of higher-ranked boats in the morning (#3 Tennessee, #11 Syracuse) but won its afternoon race for an 8-2 day. The Varsity Four also went 8-2 on Friday, taking second in both of its races.
 
Final Results (RegattaTiming.com) | Penn Boatings - Session 1 (PDF) | Penn Boatings - Session 2 (PDF)
 
Varsity Eight
MORNING: Tennessee's fourth-ranked top boat got out early and extended its lead throughout the race, getting to about a boat-length on the Quakers at the 1,000-meter mark and open water in the third 500. Penn's sixth-ranked boat battled ninth-ranked Syracuse for second, holding the Orange at bay throughout to win by about a half a boat length.
  #4 Tennessee 6:23.438
  #6 Penn 6:28.524
  #9 Syracuse 6:30.235
  #14 Washington State 6:41.884
  BU 6:47.821
  Georgetown 7:01.278
 
AFTERNOON: Penn rolled to victory here, the sixth-ranked Quakers defeating second-place Alabama by nearly 13 seconds.
  #6 Penn 6:45.181
  Alabama 6:57.933
  Tulsa 7:05.911
  Kansas 7:08.529
  Iowa 7:08.975
  UNC 7:16.579

Second Varsity Eight
MORNING: The Volunteers' third-ranked boat had little trouble in this race, going out in front early and never really getting threatened.
  #3 Tennessee 6:37.341
  #11 Syracuse 6:46.198
  #13 Penn 6:51.272
  BU 7:04.872
  Washington State 7:07.303
  Georgetown 7:20.952
 
AFTERNOON: Penn earned an eight-second win over 20th-ranked Alabama in the day's second race, with Iowa another seven seconds behind the Crimson Tide.
  #13 Penn 6:57.505
  #20 Alabama 7:05.313
  Iowa 7:12.033
  Tulsa 7:12.235
  UNC 7:18.343
  Kansas 7:22.589
 
Varsity Four
MORNING: Rankings held in the top three boats in this race, sixth-ranked Tennessee gaining the 11-second win over No. 9 Penn which in turn was a little less than three seconds better than No. 17 Syracuse.
  #6 Tennessee 7:30.541
  #9 Penn 7:41.129
  #17 Syracuse 7:44.107
  Washington State 7:55.589
  #24 BU 7:59.827
  Georgetown 8:06.964
 
AFTERNOON: A bit of an upset here, Alabama's 18th-ranked boat getting out in the second 500 and extending its lead the rest of the way en route to an eight-second win over the Quakers' ninth-ranked boat. Iowa was the only other boat under eight minutes, but barely.
  #18 Alabama 7:47.036
  #9 Penn 7:55.508
  Iowa 7:59.672
  #22 UNC 8:05.842
  Kansas 8:07.818
  Tulsa 8:17.054
 
Second Varsity Four
MORNING:
  Tennessee 7:36.468
  Syracuse 7:44.554
  Washington State 8:06.154
  Georgetown 8:07.878
  Penn 8:15.120
 
AFTERNOON:
  Iowa 7:56.433
  Alabama 7:57.179
  Penn 8:04.213
  UNC 8:15.541
  Kansas 8;21.649
  Tulsa 8:23.935
 
Third Varsity Eight
MORNING:
  Tennessee 7:13.210
  Syracuse 7:16.724
  Penn 7:19.846
  Georgetown 7:57.272
 
AFTERNOON:
  Penn 7:11.674
  Alabama 7:23.734
  Iowa 7:31.366
  Kansas 7:37.398
  UNC 7:46.176