Women's Rowing | 5/15/2012 4:07:00 PM

WORCESTER, MA - The RIT oarswomen closed out their season at the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships on Friday. The RIT tent played host to a large contingent of family and friends as some of the fastest crews in the country convened on Lake Quinsigamond.

The women's varsity eight of #Eileen Kobal (Erie, PA/Fairview)#, #Devan Musa (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca)#, #Morgan Mowins (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius )#, Dani Absi (Cleveland, OH/Bay Village), #Alex Kilgore (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster)#, #Kristin Roberts (Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles)#, #Shelby Mancuso (Torrington, CT/Torrington)#, #Nicole Conway (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy)#, and #Kelsey Rainie (Concord, NH/Concord)# opened the morning in a fast heat finishing fifth with a time of 7:16.437, behind Bates, Trinity, UNH, St. Lawrence, and ahead of Colby. RIT's goal was to stay with the Saints as they did at the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships the previous week, but couldn't hang on, placing the Tigers in the third level final. Later in the afternoon under sunny skies and a persistent tail cross wind, the Tigers finished fourth out of seven boats in this final, behind winner Simmons, Tufts, Mt. Holyoke, and ahead of Colby, Skidmore, and Connecticut College.

RIT's women's open four of #Anna-Marie Lee (Newcastle, ME/Lincoln Academy)#, #Reba Conway (Grand Island/Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart)#, #Sam Deakin (Clarence, NY/Clarence)#, #Emily Burns (Annapolis, MD/Broadneck)#, and #Sarah Crosby (Upton, MA/Nipmuc Regional)# raced in a final only event. Coming into the final 500 meters the Tigers were trailing the frontrunners and in fourth place. Their sound system cut out on them and their cox'n Lee, in a bow-loader, was doing her best to communicate to her rowers. The boat made a big move with 250 meters to go, moving them into third place and medal contention. Sprinting to the finish line, their boat, named the “Arthur J,” surged ahead of Hamilton securing second place. With fifteen strokes to go it appeared earning a silver medal was their destiny when, suddenly, the boat rocked to port and three seat caught an over-the-head crab, with the oar stuck in the water and the shell turned sideways in their lane. The oarswomen limped to the finish line, falling to sixth place in a seven boat race. Connecticut College finished first, followed by Hamilton second, Wellesley third, Colby fourth, Trinity fifth, RIT sixth, and Tufts seventh. Needless to say the RIT oarswomen were devastated. At the boat debriefing Coach Bodenstedt said, “The only thing that can help us now is a group-hug and let the tears flow. I'm still very proud of you and how you raced.”

An hour later at a festive RIT tent, the women's varsity eight presented aluminum foil medals to the women's varsity four, sharing in the four's disappointment of what could have been but recognizing that true happiness in rowing is about the bonds made in friendship and team commitment.

Together everyone achieved some magic this spring.