Oct. 1, 2000

DURHAM, N.C.-Senior Erin Neppel's win in the single was the highlight for the North Carolina rowing team Saturday morning as Duke took the varsity four, the varsity eight and the pairs in early-season racing on Lake Michie.

"It was a hard day for us," UNC coach Joel Furtek said. "We really pushed ourselves, racing three times in 2 1/2 hours. We're in a heavy workload period and did not come in primed for racing. Definitely, our eyes are on racing them much later on."

In the varsity eight, Duke won in a time of 16:29, while UNC's first boat finished in 17:00. In the varsity four, Duke's winning time was 17:58, with UNC's first boat coming across in 18:27. In the pairs, Duke's top time was 19:35, followed by another Duke boat in 20:05. UNC's top finish was third, in 20:29.

Neppel's winning time in the single was 21:25.

"Today was a good first look," Furtek said. "You can be certain that no one is happy about losing to Duke. We will redouble our efforts to make sure that next time we see them we'll be able to provide them with a much better race.

"The results show that major credit goes to the Duke coaching staff. They've really developed last year's outstanding recruiting class into some very seasoned racers."

UNC is back in action this Saturday, Oct. 7, traveling to compete against a strong field at the Head of the Ohio regatta in Pittsburgh, Pa.