SARATOGA, NY—Once the fog cleared over Fish Creek, the sun came out and the water remained flat all day for a great day of racing. Williams Women's Crew arrived eager to put solid strokes down at their last regatta of the fall. WWC raced 4 eights and 3 fours throughout the day and left with impressive results across the boats.
The 1V was first to race down Saratoga's 3200-meter long course, with
Julia Lim as coxswain and
Anna Owens as stroke seat, followed by
Ella Napack, Ellie Davis, Isabel Mikheev,
Prairie Resch,
Ellie Iorio,
Erin Barry and
Emily Hugo in bow seat. The boat jumped off at the start and began at a higher rate than they have seen at previous races, and they worked to maintain that rhythm throughout the piece. Stroke seat
Anna Owens worked hard to set a sustainable but aggressive pace, as the boat had been working on moving up in rate this week. The boat took a stroke move at the halfway point and dropped their average split as they moved into the last 1000 meters. Their sprint was effective as well, landing the boat an 8
th place finish in the midst of many Division 1 crews. 4 seat
Prairie Resch reflected that "the 1V crossed the start line fired up and ready to race today, despite delays and a tough headwind. We set out with the goal to row hard "until the wheels come off," and although our race wasn't as beautiful as we would've liked, our boat kept up the power and determination, and we crossed the finish line having improved our margins on other teams from Head of the Charles and having given our all."
The 2V raced next and was coxed by
Summer Keating and stroked by
Gabby Fazzalari, followed by
Lola Kovalski, Maya Tait, Audrey Riddle,
Abby Murphy,
Grace Clarke,
Isabelle Zollinger and
Ava Rust in bow seat. The boat remained consistent throughout with a steady pace and rate, and they continued pushing the margins on the other crews as they worked through the body of the piece. The crew leaned into the sprint and picked up their pace to execute a strong finish at a high rate, landing them a 4
th place finish behind Tufts.
Riku Nakano coxed the 3V that was stroked by
Greta Gruber, followed by
Ella Potee,
Mia Kabillio,
Madeleine Horn, Annie Refermat,
Brenda Jaroker,
Arden Fluehr and
Ana Wever, in bow seat. There was an issue at the starting line with a different boat that was in the warm-up lane, and the 3V and other boats around them had to restart their piece to avoid collision. The boat remained composed despite the challenge and remained ahead of Middlebury's crew that was chasing them down the course. The boat pushed hard into the sprint and crossed the finish line 23
rd. 3 seat
Brenda Jaroker reflected that, "Overall, we had a very solid race. We had to restart because another boat broke down in front of us, so I'm really proud we were able to refocus and get an even better build to the first 250. There was a surprise head wind, but the boat stayed together and connected on the drive to push through. You could tell everyone was locked in and giving it their all for the last fall race."
The Novice eight was coxed by Katie Scott and stroked by Carolyn Fortin, followed by Arden Caldicott, Claire McDonald, Alexa Hanson, Molly McWeeny, Amaka Ibkwe, Alina Ramirez and Eve Shulman in bow seat. The boat was both nervous and excited for their first ever official race, and they were confident as they launched off the dock. The crew had a consistent pace and mentality throughout the first few turns and then were able to get into their rhythm more as they moved onto the straightaway. As they crossed into the last 1000 meters, they passed a boat as Wesleyan passed them in an exciting dash towards the sprint. They finished 13
th behind Smith. 6 seat Claire McDonald shared that "it was definitely mentally and physically the hardest rowing we have ever had to do, but we were all really proud of each other at the end. We were high fiving and hugging; it was very joyful."
Williams had 3 boats in the collegiate four event, and the first was coxed by
Summer Keating and stroked by
Prairie Resch, followed by Isabel Mikheev,
Erin Barry and
Ellie Iorio in bow seat. The rowers were tired after racing in the eight event, but they brought their all to this race and worked hard in the new lineup. The boat started around many Division 1 crews and they raced with aggression to stay with the pack. They set a steady rhythm and walked up on Smith ahead of them, picking up momentum until they finished in 11
th behind Trinity. 2 seat and senior
Erin Barry shared that "it was a very powerful race and a great learning experience for all of us in the boat."
The next four was coxed by
Sarah Gantt and stroked by
Anna Owens, followed by
Ella Napack, Ellie Davis and
Gabby Fazzalari in bow seat. The boat surged forward began to pass Smith right after their start, and Smith was not able to yield for Williams to move past them and this caused a minor collision. After this setback, the boat got back to their effective rhythm and raced fiercely to gain back the seconds lost. The boat kept the rate high and rowed relentlessly, passing 6 boats as they cruised towards the finish. Although they were tired from their earlier race in the eight event, the boat gave the piece their all to finish the season on a strong note. They crossed the finish in 7
th, ahead of some Division 1 crews. 2 seat Ellie Davis reflected that "it was simultaneously the most chaotic but most fun race I have ever rowed. Hitting Smith as we were walking through them definitely shook us up, but I was so impressed with our ability to dial in and stay relentless throughout the rest of the race, giving us an impressive finish."
The last boat to cross the finish was the four coxed by Ariana Oppenheimer and stroked by Bri Palmieri, followed by
Maddy Andersen, Maia Wang and
Katie Lu in bow seat. The boat had a rocky start with some confusion at the start, but they gained back their focus and drive quickly. The crew held a steady pace and took a strong move at the halfway mark. They leaned into their rhythm and gave the race their all as they took strokes towards the finish, crossing the line in 32
nd. Stroke seat Bri Palmieri shared that "The 2v had a really solid race! We found a good rhythm that helped a lot with our set. Everything came together in our sprint and we finished out strong!"
Eph's head coach Paula Thoms shared, "Today was about pushing our limits and leaving everything out on the race course before heading into winter training! The team embraced that challenge and raced well! We were impressed with our first time racers today! They went hard and came off the water tired and excited about their performance. They have a bright future ahead on our team!"
Williams crew left Saratoga very proud of both today's races and the season's progress. This was the first race for many first-years on the team that began rowing this year, and the last fall race for the team's seniors. As the team heads into winter training, they are eager to build on the momentum and success of this fall, and their first season with their new head coach Paula Thoms. The Head of the Fish marked an exciting close to the season for all rowers.
