Women's Rowing | 5/7/2012 1:16:00 PM
WHITNEY POINT, NY - Despite cool and windy conditions, racing at the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships proved that the Tiger oarswomen raced with a competitive spirit and goal to reach the grand finals in each event.
On Saturday, The women's varsity eight fell short of their goal by two seconds, while the women's varsity four and the women's open four both reached the grand's.
The Tigers opened the morning in the varsity eight event, heat two. The crew of #
Wendy Gutcher (Fairfax Station, VA/South County)#, #
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)# started well in a competitive field including Marist, St. Lawrence, Ithaca, Union, and Binghamton. The Tigers pressed the pace, part of their race plan strategy. By the 1,000 meter mark, RIT was even with the front pack. Coming to the finish line for the top three boats to qualify for the grand final, RIT was battling St. Lawrence for that third spot, only seconds behind Marist and Ithaca. The Saints were able to hold on to their two seat lead as the Tigers charged in their racing shell named the “Happy Day.”
When the lady oarswomen took their boat out of the water and walked the long walk after the sting of defeat, Head Coach
Jim Bodenstedt was there to greet them. In his debriefing with them about the race he commented, “I am so proud of how you raced today. You pushed those crews down the race course and made them red in the head. If you had rowed in the other heat you would have qualified for the grand's. You proved you are a varsity crew contender.”
The top-seeded women's varsity four and women's open four cruised through their heats to qualify for the grand finals. The women's varsity four of #
Eileen Kobal (Erie, PA/Fairview)#, #
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)# finished the last 250 meters with good closing speed to stay ahead of Marist, D”Youville, St. Lawrence, and Cazenovia. Skidmore won the heat followed by Manhattan and RIT.
With
Reba Conway (Grand Island/Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart) double rowing and stroking the women's varsity four and the open four, she had to pace herself in the heats to secure a place for both boats to qualify for the grands. With a long and rhythmic stroke, Conway, along with her boat mates of #
Anna-Marie Lee (Newcastle, ME/Lincoln Academy)#, #
Allison Doster (Lafayette, NY/Lafayatte)#, #
Katie Bonfiglio (Bedford, NH/Bedford)#, and #
Kelsey Seibt (McHenry, IL/McHenry)# was able to duplicate the result by finishing third in the heat with Skidmore, Albany lightweights, and Stony Brook. Skidmore and Albany advanced with Albany having the fastest time.
Saturday's racing ended on a high note with the women's fours making the grand's and a victory for RIT in the men's open four event.
On Sunday, the women's varsity eight of Gutcher, Musa, Mowins, Absi, Kilgore, Roberts, Mancuso,
Nicole Conway (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy), and Rainie started off morning racing at 8 a.m. in the Women's Petite Finals. Considered the second tier of racing, the Tigers were in no mood to let West Point, Union, Vassar, Albany, or Binghamton deny them a chance to win. The lady oars led from start to finish with open water on second place finisher West Point, third place Union, fourth place Vassar, fifth place Albany, and sixth place Binghamton. RIT finished with a time of 7:07.20. In the women's grand final, William Smith steamrolled the field with a time of 6:44.40, with Marist finishing second, Ithaca third, Hamilton fourth, St. Lawrence fifth, and Rochester sixth.
The women's varsity four of
Eileen Kobal (Erie, PA/Fairview),
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) fought hard the entire race and finished fifth overall, ahead of Manhattan, and behind winner Army, and second place Skidmore, third place NYU, and fourth place Clarkson.
The women's open four of Lee,
Reba Conway (Grand Island/Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart), Doster, Bonfiglio, and Seibt finished a second off of fourth place finisher Vassar C. Vassar B won with a time of 8:00.10, with NYU finishing second, Albany third, and Vassar A sixth. RIT finished with a time of 8:21.59.
The Tiger oarswomen will close out their season on Friday, May 11 at the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts.
