WORCESTER, MA -- Coming off of its annual spring training trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the women's crew team returned to racing this weekend at the Donahue Cup on Lake Quinsigamond. Williams won the team trophy for the 12th year running, with all boats placing first in their respective events.
The 1V raced first, competing against Simmons, Connecticut College, WPI, and Rochester, a newcomer to the Donahue Cup. The Ephs led the field decisively, moving off a strong starting sequence. Williams crossed the line in 7:01.0, followed by second-place WPI in 7:08.96. Simmons took third, with Rochester and Connecticut College placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
"The team had a great first day of racing," senior co-captain Sophia Jannetty said. "All crews—women and men—performed very well. We look forward to gaining speed in the weeks to come."
The 1V included senior Jannetty; juniors Gemma Holt, Gabrielle Markel, and Emory Strawn; sophomores Louisa Abel, Clara Beery, Bertie Miller, and Rebecca Smith; and freshman Eileen Russell.
The 2V followed next, facing the same competitors with the exception of Connecticut College, which opted to row an exhibition boat in the 3V race. Again, the Ephs stepped out strongly from the start and led the field down the course, finishing in 7:10.5. The women led second-place WPI by 23.55 seconds, with Simmons placing third and Rochester fourth.
"We put down a really solid piece," senior seven seat Katie Costantini said. "We went hard off the line and were able to maintain our focus and intensity better than we ever have before. It was great to finally test ourselves against outside competition and I am so excited to see how this boat can continue to come together and find speed."
The 2V included seniors Costantini, Merritt Harlan, Annie Tewksbury, and Bety Lopez; junior Katie Swoap; sophomores Brittany Chung and Rachel Jones; and freshmen Emily Burch and Diana Matthiessen.
Third to the line was the novice 8 composed of athletes in their first year of collegiate rowing. Rochester did not field a novice boat, so the women raced WPI, Simmons and Connecticut College. The novices earned another victory for the Ephs, besting second-place WPI by 21.31 seconds and crossing the finish in 7:22.8.
"I think our race went well," freshman stroke seat Mikhayla Armstrong said. "We had a solid start which started us off ahead of the other boats and from there we continued to take seats. That being said, we definitely have improvements to work on and I look forward to our next race."
The novice eight was composed of junior Sarah Cooperman and freshmen Armstrong, Grace Chamberlin, Caroline Kessler, Kate Latimore, Josie Maynard, Julia Mini, Ava Palmo, and Annie Rush.
Wrapping up the morning's racing, the 3V faced off against WPI, Rochester, and Connecticut College's exhibition boat. Connecticut College and Williams broke away from the other two boats and traded seats for the majority of the 2K course, with Connecticut College leading by half a length. The Camels crossed the line first in 7:41.5, with Williams close behind in 7:48.95. Rochester finished third, more than 17 seconds behind the Ephs and 18 seconds ahead of WPI. Owing to Connecticut College's exhibition boat status, the Ephs were credited with a win in the 3V category, in spite of finishing behind the Camels.
"I felt like today was a great start to the season, and the 3V really dialed in and made every stroke count—for ourselves and for our teammates in the other boats," sophomore seven seat Abi Matthew said.
The 3V featured juniors Molly Burroughs, Becca Dunwoody, Deanna Segall and Ellie Wachtel; sophomores Katie Dix, Ria Hanson, Matthew, and Grace McCabe; and freshman Harper Johnson.
The Ephs will race at home on Lake Onota in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, April 16 against Wesleyan in the Little Three Regatta, in which Amherst historically does not compete. However, the women can look forward to seeing 2013 Williams alum Annie Haley, now in her second year as assistant coach for Wesleyan.
Results courtesy of Row2k.
COMPLETE RESULTS
