SMU rowing opened the ACC Championship with a fourth-place finish in the 2V8 and will race in five petite finals Saturday at Lake Wheeler.
SMU rowing opened the ACC Championship with a competitive first day at Lake Wheeler Park, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the second varsity eight and several boats staying within striking distance of the middle of the field.
The Mustangs posted one fourth-place finish, two fifth-place results and two sixth-place finishes Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina. SMU will return to the water Saturday for five petite finals as the program looks to close the conference meet on a strong note.
SMU’s best race came in the 2V8, where the Mustangs crossed in 6:32.570 to finish fourth. That boat beat Clemson by 5.99 seconds and Boston College by 17.06 seconds, giving SMU its strongest placement of the day.
The 1V8 also delivered a solid result. SMU finished fifth in 6:23.770, comfortably ahead of Boston College by 12.12 seconds. The Mustangs were also just 4.03 seconds behind third-place Duke, showing how tight the race was behind Stanford and Syracuse.
SMU began the morning in the 3V8, finishing sixth with a time of 7:11.590. In the 1V4, the Mustangs also placed sixth, clocking 7:26.100.
The final race of the day brought another fifth-place effort, as SMU’s 2V4 finished in 7:31.780. That mark was 18.81 seconds faster than Boston College, giving the Mustangs another head-to-head ACC win.
Stanford set the pace across much of Friday’s racing, winning the 1V8, 2V8, 1V4 and 2V4. Cal took the 3V8 race.
For SMU, the focus now shifts to Saturday’s petite finals. The Mustangs showed flashes Friday, especially in the 2V8 and 1V8, and they’ll have five more chances to gain ground at the ACC Championship.
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