The flow of water upstream from the Dillon Reservoir near Zanesville is being held back to eliminate the swift current rowers would have had to contend with, Dale Machir, an officer with the Harmar Rowing Club, said Friday as a series of heat races were being conducted.

"A few years ago, we had the regatta washed out by a storm," Machir said. "This year, we've been in contact with Victor Pratt, the water control manager down in Huntington, and he had them hold the water back at the Dillon Reservoir starting (Thursday)."

Machir said because of the heavy rains experienced in northern Ohio and in the Pittsburgh area and the resulting runoff, the Ohio River is running approximately five feet above normal.

"It's created almost a backwater situation where it's fairly calm," he said.

Despite some persistant rain, race officials got all 20 heat races scheduled Friday. Rowers were hoping for some sunshine today when the finals for the Lindamood Cup are contested.

Even without a swift downstream current, rowers had difficulty breaking the four-minute mark in completing the 1,500-meter run. Only Riverview's men's novice eight, based near Detroit, Mich., managed the feat Friday, turning in a time of 3:59.92 in winning the first of two heat races in that category.

"Most of our pieces are rowed upstream and most of them are longer than 1,500 meters," said sophomore Andrew Timmons, who rowed in the No. 6 slot in the Riverview men's novice eight entry. "It was a good race for us even though we caught a crab or two. Our adreneline was going and that helped."

Marietta advanced six of eight shells during Friday's preliminaries and scored wins in the women's novice four, the man's junior eight and men's novice four heat races.

The time turned in by Marietta in the men's junior eight heat race -- 4:16.50 -- was the fastest run of the day by the Tigers.

The Tiger Navy also advanced shells to the finals in the women's novice eight, the men's varsity four and the women's novice four.

The heat races will resume at 8 a.m. Saturday to determine the field in the finals for the men's lightweight four and the women's varsity eight races.

The finals will begin at 9 a.m. and continue into the early afternoon. The two feature races -- the women's varsity eight and the men's varsity eight -- are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

In addition to defending Lindamood Cup champion Marietta, the field includes Central Catholic High School of Pittsburgh, Central Catholic High School of Toledo, Fox Chapel of Pittsburgh, Pa., Grosse Ile of Lincoln, Mich., North Catholic of Pittsburgh, Notre Dame Academy of Toledo, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Riverview (Mich.), St. Ignatius of Cleveland and St. Ursula of Toledo.

While the races are being contested, motorists should be advised that the section of Gilman Avenue that runs past the boathouse will be closed down.

Marietta Invitational Rowing Results

Heat races

Women's novice eight:

1A -- Parkersburg South 4:52.08, Riverview 4:57.33, Parkersburg 5:20.19 (top two to finals).

1B -- Marietta 5:08.40, Grosse Ile 5:24.51, Notre Dame 6:27.53 (top two to finals).

Men's varsity four:

2A -- Central Catholic (P) 4:22.58, Marietta 4:28.30, Riverview 4:29.30, Central Catholic (T) 4:41.55 (top three to finals).

2B -- St. Ignatius 4:33.20, North Catholic 5:01.39, Parkersburg 5:05.08 (top two to finals).

Women's junior four:

3A -- Parkersburg 5:39.71, Grosse Ile 5:54.88, Parkersburg South 6:09.21, St. Ursula 6:21.28 (top three to finals).

3B -- Riverview 5:35.80, North Catholic 5:49.94, Marietta 5:50.11 (top two to finals).

Men's novice eight:

4A -- Riverview 3:59.92, Parkersburg 4:11.73, Central Catholic (P) 4:20.82, St. Ignatius B 4:22.76, Marietta 4:39.77 (top three to finals)

4B -- St. Ignatius 4:34.20, Fox Chapel 4:42.21, St. Ignatius 5:04.45, Grosse Ile 5:09.23 (top two to finals).

Men's junior four:

5A -- St. Ignatius A 4:16.28, Parkersburg South 4:28.85, Grosse Ile 4:32.82, Parkersburg 4:39.49 (top two to finals).

5B -- St. Ignatius B 4:48.20, Fox Chapel 4:54.60, Riverview 5:18.99, Central Catholic (P) 5:24.15 (top two to finals).

Women's varsity four:

7A -- Parkersburg 5:18.00, St. Ursula 5:20.52, Marietta 5:26.47, Grosse Ile 5:30.52, Riverview 5:38.79 (top two to finals).

7B -- Fox Chapel 4:27.10, Central Catholic (T) 4:30.69, Parkersburg South 4:32.32, Notre Dame 4:34.17, Notre Dame B 5:02.15 (top two to finals).

Women's novice four:

9A -- Parkersburg South 5:21.71, Riverview 5:36.14, Notre Dame 5:49.08, Grosse Ile 5:56.78, Parkersburg B 6:14.70 (top two to finals).

9B -- Marietta 5:38.80, St. Ursula 5:46.87, Parkersburg 6:01.87, Central Catholic (T) 6:11.77 (top two to finals).

Men's junior eight:

10A -- St. Ignatius 4:17.1, Riverview 5:11.65, Parkersburg South 5:21.64 (top two to finals).

10B -- Marietta 4:16.50, North Catholic 4:27.63, Parkersburg 4:34.62, Grosse Ile 5:55.51 (top two to finals).

Men's novice four:

11A -- Marietta 5:01.60, Central Catholic (P) 5:11.06, Parkersburg South 5:13.17, Fox Chapel 5:13.18, St. Ignatius B 5:15.59 (top two to finals).

11B -- Parkersburg 4:45.00, St. Ignatius A 4:48.88, Grosse Ile 4:50.37, Riverview 5:02.74, Central Catholic (T) 6:15.00 (top two to finals).

Women's lightweight four:

13 A -- Marietta 4:41.94, Notre Dame 4:53.89, Fox Chapel 4:54.04, North Catholic 6:01.15 (top two to finals).

13B -- Parkersburg South 5:30.90, Notre Dame A 5:31.85, Parkersburg 5:32.86, Grosse Ile 6:06.37 (top two to finals).