Rowing team prepares for face off against KU

The K-State rowing team is scheduled to compete in the Sunflower Showdown at Tuttle Creek Reservoir tomorrow. The event has been canceled the last two years due to inclement weather.

Though the teams haven't competed in Manhattan since 2007, the Wildcats currently hold the title over the Jayhawks.

Head coach Patrick Sweeney said he hopes the team can do what it has been doing so far this season.

"We always have the competitiveness," Sweeney said. "The springtime is the real season and we are looking for progression and what can happen in head-to-head races."

He also said the team has been doing well in practices and looks to repeat what they did earlier this season at the Head of the Oklahoma competition, when the varsity and novice crews placed highly among the other teams in the conference.

"We want to take what we took from Oklahoma," Sweeney said. "We have been working a lot on technique and power. We want to see if we can hold the technique and what has been taught for pressure situations."

He said it will be interesting to see how it pans out for each individual. The Varsity 8 lineup remains the same from the race in Oklahoma City, but Sweeney said there have been some changes. "We are still holding frame lineups, but there are some changes to the second lineup to see if they can do better," Sweeney said.

Fans interested in attending the races can access the parking lot via Spillway Marina Road across the Tuttle Creek Dam. For specific driving directions, check out the rowing team's page on kstatesports.com. A shuttle will be available to transport fans from the parking lot to the viewing area, which is located near the finish line at the east end of the dam.

The first race, which features K-State's second Novice 8 boat, is set to begin at 9 a.m.