After a third place finish for K-State in the Big 12 championship ended their season, the Wildcat rowers will return for two races this fall before fully gearing up for regular season action in the spring.
Even with the top three conference finish, the 2014 season had it’s faults. Just before the Big 12 regatta, K-State fell to to Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown for the first time since 2010.
“We’ve worked them fairly hard coming into today,” head coach Patrick Sweeney said to K-State Sports earlier in May. “It was obvious (Kansas) was sharper than we were.”
But, with the struggles also came some success as K-State cleaned up in Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta. Out of five total Wildcat boats that competed, four returned with medals including three gold medal winning boats.
The Wildcats lose five seniors from last year’s team including last season’s All-Big 12 team member Brittany Long, and Big 12 Student Athlete of the Year for women’s rowing and nominee for the NCAA Women of the Year award Meggie Murray.
“I was very surprised first of all, but receiving the award is a huge blessing just because of how much support I’ve received while I was on the rowing team,” Murray said to the Collegian last summer. “It’s cool to just see all of it pay off and to see something come from it. I know there are many people who work just as hard as I do and don’t get recognized for it. It’s an honor to receive it.”
Even with the losses, they return several leaders as well, including junior Kayla Brock who also was named an All-Big 12 member last season.
K-State will head down to Oklahoma City for the Head of the Oklahoma race on Oct. 3 before finishing up their fall schedule in Lawrence for the Jayhawk Jamboree.
Last season, K-State finished well in both the Head of the Oklahoma and Jayhawk Jamboree with 12 top 10 finishes.
