OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University opens its 2018-19 rowing season by hosting the Head of the Oklahoma Regatta on Saturday and Sunday.
Juliana Soper of the Stars will compete for the first time since placing sixth in women's double in the 80th Dad Vail Regatta on May 13 on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
The Head of the Oklahoma starts 11 a.m. Saturday and continues 8 a.m. Sunday on the Oklahoma River. Collegiate rowers will take to the water under the lights in the night sprints at 7 p.m. Saturday. Saturday's races will conclude with a fireworks display 10 p.m.
Soper, a senior from Audubon, N.J., teamed with Alyson Morse to reach the grand final in the largest collegiate regatta and one of the prestigious rowing events in the world.
On July 28, Francis and the U.S. lightweight men's quadruple sculls crew collected bronze in the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Poznan, Poland. Francis represented the United States in the World Under 23 Championships for the second consecutive year.
Hadzo Habibovic will debut as OCU coach in the Head of the Oklahoma Regatta. Habibovic took over as OCU coach in July. He served as coxswain for the Stars from 2011-15 and helped the United States win its first men's eight gold medal in the World University Games in South Korea after finishing his college rowing career.

Head of the Oklahoma Regatta
COMPETING SCHOOLS
Alabama
Baylor
Central Florida
Central Oklahoma
Kansas
Oklahoma
Southern Methodist
Texas A&M
Tulsa
Wichita State