ANNAPOLIS, Md. - With postseason action lying directly ahead for the program in May, the Navy women's rowing team wraps up its regular season this Friday and Saturday with three sessions of racing at the 2022 Lake Wheeler Invitational. One of 16 teams scheduled to race at Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, N.C., the Mids will be competing twice on Friday and once on Saturday against a field of ranked opponents, many of whom could be meeting again at the NCAA Championship in late May in Florida. The multi-day event is co-hosted by the University of North Carolina and Duke. Navy's five-boat fleet will begin action in the first session on Friday at 12:24 p.m. with its third varsity eight before the same crew leads off the second session at 4:24 p.m. The competition picks up on Saturday morning at 9:24 a.m. with the Mids' 3V8 once again.

The field for this weekend's Lake Wheeler Invitational is headlined by No. 9 Penn, No. 11 Duke and No. 15 Syracuse. Additionally, Navy, Clemson, UCF, Louisville and Boston University are in the receiving votes section of this week's CRCA Top-20 Poll. The rest of the field includes Boston College, Bucknell, Georgetown, Kansas, Miami, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Temple.

In the first session on Friday that runs from 12:24 PM to 2:48 PM will see Navy go up against Oklahoma, Clemson, Louisville and Temple over first, second and third varsity eight and first and second varsity four contests. The Mids will be on the waters of Lake Wheeler every 36 minutes. The matchups in the second session on Friday will change over to Bucknell, Clemson, Penn, Syracuse and UCF. The same 36-minute increments over the 3V8, 2V4, 1V4, 2V8 and V8 races are scheduled to run from 4:24 PM to 6:48 PM. The competition will conclude on Saturday morning between 9:24 AM and 11:48 AM and showcase Navy racing against Boston College, Boston University, Duke, Penn and Temple.

Most Recent Lake Wheeler Invitational Action - April 27, 2019
After weather sidelined the Navy women's rowing team at the Clemson Invitational the previous weekend, the Mids came in conflict with Mother Nature once again at the Lake Wheeler Invitational in Raleigh, North Carolina as the action was condensed to just Saturday after Friday's heat racing was shelved due to un-rowable conditions. Once they finally got on the water at Lake Wheeler, the Mids were up to the task of racing versus a strong nine-team field of national programs. On the strength of a win by its first varsity eight crew and two more grand final performances, Navy placed second overall in the team standings at the inaugural competition.

The Mids' first varsity eight was the class of the field with a pair of victories on Saturday. Racing in the third qualifying heat, Navy clocked in with a time of 6:31.772 to best UCF and North Carolina, who registered times of 6:35.070 and 6:46.237, respectively. In the grand final, the Mids withstood another stiff challenge as they crossed the finish line, 2.598 seconds ahead of Michigan State, 6:26.570 to 6:29.168. Duke rounded out the three-team final in third place at 6:31.508. 

Last Time Out - April 9 versus Columbia and Northeastern
Taking on a talented three-team field of Columbia and Northeastern, the Navy women's rowing team collected three wins and two more runner-up results over a six-race slate on Saturday morning at Overpeck Park in Northern New Jersey. The Mids' effort against the Lions and Huskies was spearheaded by wins from their second varsity eight crew, as well as their first and second varsity four crews.

In the first varsity eight race, the Huskies held off the Lions down the stretch for a 6:26.435 to 6:29.368 margin of victory. The Mids' first varsity came in third place with a 6:34.149 result.

Race Schedule
Friday
Session #1
12:24 PM - Third Varsity Eight (Navy, Oklahoma, Clemson, Louisville)
1:00 PM - Second Varsity Four (Navy, Oklahoma, Clemson, Temple, Duke 3V4)
1:36 PM - First Varsity Four (Navy, Oklahoma, Clemson, Louisville, Temple)
2:12 PM - Second Varsity Eight (Navy, Oklahoma, Clemson, Louisville, Temple)
2:48 PM - First Varsity Eight (Navy, Oklahoma, Clemson, Louisville, Temple)

Session #2
4:24 PM - Third Varsity Eight (Navy, Bucknell, Clemson, Penn, Syracuse, UCF)
5:00 PM - Second Varsity Four (Navy, Bucknell, Clemson, Penn, Syracuse, UCF)
5:36 PM - First Varsity Four (Navy, Bucknell, Clemson, Penn, Syracuse, UCF)
6:12 PM - Second Varsity Eight (Navy, Bucknell, Clemson, Penn, Syracuse, UCF)
6:48 PM - First Varsity Eight (Navy, Bucknell, Clemson, Penn, Syracuse, UCF)

Saturday 
Morning Session
9:24 AM - Third Varsity Eight (Navy, Duke, Penn)
10:00 AM - Second Varsity Four (Navy, Duke, Penn, Temple)
10:36 AM - First Varsity Four (Navy, Boston College, Boston U., Duke, Penn, Temple)
11:12 AM - Second Varsity Eight (Navy, Boston College, Boston U., Duke, Penn, Temple)
11:48 AM - First Varsity Eight (Navy, Boston College, Boston U., Duke, Penn, Temple)