IU to compete in Big Ten regatta

The Hoosiers will be seeing their first all Big Ten regatta this weekend when they head to East Lansing, Mich. The crew team will be racing against Big Ten powerhouses Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Coach Mark Wilson said he expects to see stiff competition this weekend.\n"I think we're going to see some really fast boats," Wilson said. "Michigan is No. 1 in the region, and Michigan State is No. 2. I'm hoping we can be close."\nMichigan has already defeated Duke and No. 10 Virginia. The Wolverines have earned conference honors two weeks in a row, sharing last week's honors with Ohio State.\nNo. 11 Ohio State also defeated both Duke and Virginia last week in Columbus, Ohio. Sharing conference honors with Michigan, the Buckeyes will have to prove they are for real away from home. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten championship last year.\nMichigan State, though a young team, has already become one of the best teams in the Midwest. Despite not competing last weekend due to weather conditions, the Spartans have the advantage rowing at home. Wilson said the team needs to put together its best races this weekend.\n"The teams we're racing are fast," he said. "We need to find some chemistry to get the most out of our athletes. We need to put together good races for our confidence."\nDespite seeing stiff competition, the Hoosiers remain confident. The team has seen improvement after every regatta of the season so far, and this weekend looks to be no different. Sophomore Sarah Meyer said she believes experience from the season so far has been the key for the team's constant improvement.\n"I think the main word for the improvements made so far this season is confidence," Meyer said in a statement. "The more experience we get under our belts, the more confident we can feel about our racing knowledge and skills, and therefore the more prepared and driven we can become."\nSophomore Amanda Tallman agreed and said the team is coming together.\n"We have continually been getting better because we are getting more experience, and we are also getting stronger with every stroke we take," Tallman said in a statement. "The boats are starting to come together as one, and the feeling and run in the boat is getting better."\nTallman, a member of the second varsity eight, said the team has been practicing hard to prepare for the regatta this weekend.\n"Physically we have been having hard practices, and we've been focusing on getting the stroke rating higher with power and not with the slide," she said. "Mentally I have been preparing since this past weekend. I have visually seen our boat going side by side with the other teams."\nWith the Big Ten and NCAA championships both approaching fast, Wilson said he wants the team to remain focused on the regatta this weekend.\n"It's important they don't look too far ahead," he said. "If we do well, we will have confidence for later"