Women's Rowing | 10/9/2016 5:54:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's crew team raced on Saturday at the Head of the Genesee Regatta on the Genesee River. The Tigers had a spectacular day, with the varsity eight capturing the Kate Louise Cup in the Women's Collegiate Eight for the first time since 2002.
In the Women's Collegiate Eight, the RIT varsity eight of
Francesca Scumaci (Fairport, NY/Fairport),
Amy Guthrie (Essex Junction, VT/Essex),
Lauren Asselmeyer (Poughquag, NY/Arlington),
Colleen Ryan (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland),
Tiffany Cao (Buffalo, NY/Hutchinson Central Technical),
Taylor Blackwell (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland),
Claire Thomas (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland),
Emma Will (Squantum, MA/Woodward School for Girls) and
Colleen Albert (Burlington, CT/Lewis S. Mills) powered down the course in 17:51.14 to claim gold in the 20-boat field. The Tigers were 18 seconds ahead of second place William Smith and 43 seconds ahead of third place Hamilton.
RIT's second varsity 8 of
Kysa Willemsen (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Christopher),
Amelia Rothfuss (Wolcott, NY/North-Rose Wolcott),
Mickyla Schnupp (Fairport, NY/Fairport),
Catherine Evans (Sharon, PA),
Emma Kohler (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius),
Casey Mazza (Grosse Pointe, MI/University Liggett School),
Delanie Kneeland (Windham, NH/Windham),
Debbie Kunz (Owego, NY/Owego) and
Danielia Reeves (Montego Bay, Jamaica/Hillel Academy) finished seventh in the Women's Collegiate Eight event. Their time of 18:46.29 led the second varsity eights.
In the Women's Novice Eight, the Tigers' line-up of
Catherine O'Halloran (),
Jacqueline Corson (Powell, OH/Dublin Coffman),
Melissa Gould (),
Clarissa Brown (),
Svea Elisha (),
Chiara Young (Sherman, NY/Panama),
Olivia Sanders (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge),
Brook Fitzpatrick () and
Marta Kasiyan () earned bronze with a time of 21:01.25. St. Lawrence placed first with a time of 19:47.12 in the 12-boat field. RIT's second novice eight of
Julia O'Halloran (),
Jordan Melita (North Chili, NY/Churchville Chili),
Elizabeth Kuhlman (),
Rachel Schwall (),
Lea MacKnight (),
Anna Schum-Houck (Rochester, NY/Aquinas), Varada Krishnadas,
Adrielle Watkins () and
Ashley Osborne (Winchester, MA/Winchester) posted a time of 23:28.12 for seventh.
Tiger alumnae Anna-Marie Lee,
Sarah Foggett (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder),
Arielle Weinstein (Athens, NY/Coxsackie-Athens),
Chelsea Coates (Sanborn/Niagara Wheatfield), Phoebe Hurd,
Cassandra Killion (New Plymouth, ID/Nampa Christian),
Lindsey Schwartz (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili),
Laura Alderfer (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge ) and
Brittany Dzugas-Smith (West Babylon, NY/Landmark) represented RIT in the Alumni 8/Open 4 event.
Head Coach
Jim Bodenstedt commented on the day's racing with much reflection and excitement, "Today was an historic day for RIT Crew. We started racing at this hometown regatta back in 1994, one year after the inception of our program. As a college rowing program in Rochester, we always feel compelled to prove to ourselves that we are 'king of the river' on the Genesee River. Today we met that goal in extraordinary fashion.
Never before have the varsity men and women stood on the winner's podium together, along with our novice men, and our bronze medalists novice women. Our JV eights and our second and third novice eights also finished in the top third. I couldn't be prouder of the 90 athletes who raced and my assistant coaches who got them to the starting line. It just was a great day for RIT Crew!"
The Tigers return to the water on Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass.
