Tampa to Compete in Florida Blue SSC Rowing Championship on Saturday at Canal 54

ORLANDO, Fla. - The 2012 Florida Blue Sunshine State Conference Rowing Championship will be held on Saturday at Canal 54 in Fellsmere, Fla.

Barry, Florida Tech, Nova Southeastern, Rollins, and Tampa will vie for the SSC title. Florida Tech will field a Varsity 8 boat, while each of the other four participants will enter both a Varsity 8 and a Varsity 4 crew.

The regatta will begin just after the sun peaks over the horizon, with timed trials set for 7:30 a.m. The finals will follow later, beginning with the Varsity 4 petite final at 10 a.m. The Four grand final will race at 10:10 a.m.
The Varsity 8 petite final will take the water at 10:20 a.m., followed by the Eight grand final at 10:30 a.m.

The top three boats from each race's timed trial will row in the grand final, and the remaining boats will compete in the petite final.

In the latest Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association/US Rowing Coaches poll, Nova Southeastern is ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II. Barry is tabbed No. 6, and Florida Tech and Rollins received votes.

The most recent NCAA DII South Region rankings slated NSU as the top team, with the Sharks also sitting atop the rankings for the Varsity 8 and Varsity 4. With its crews ranked third in the Four and second in the Eight, Barry was pegged as the second overall team. Rollins received the No. 4 team billing, with its Four ranked fourth and its Eight slotted in the fifth spot.

Florida Tech and Tampa also appeared in the regional Varsity 8 rankings, with Tech ranked at No. 3 and Tampa at No. 6.

Admission to the Florida Blue SSC Championship is free. Directions to Canal 54 appear below.

From the South:
- I-95 North and take the Fellsmere/Sebastian exit (Road 512)
- West on Road 512 (Left off the exit)
- North (right) on North Broadway Blvd
- West (left) on South Carolina Ave.
- North (right) on Babcock St./138th Ave.
- The race course is approximately 3.5 mile on the left

From the North:
- I-95 South and take the Malabar Road exit
- East (left) on Malabar Road
- South (right) on Babcock St.
- The race course is approximately 12.5 miles on the right