Heat 1 Results | Heat 2 Results
GOLD RIVER, Calif.—Both William Smith College crews progressed out of the morning heats during the initial races of the 2011 NCAA Division III Rowing Championship at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. The Heron varsity eight will race in the grand final qualifier, while the second varsity eight progressed to the petite final qualifier.
“Both boats had confident races which allowed them shut down and earn places in the grand and petite qualifier,” Head Coach
Sandra Chu said. “They came off the water loose and are ready to go for the afternoon.”
In the first heat of the day, the varsity eight got off to a strong start and trailed only defending national champion Williams at the midpoint of the 2,000-meter race. The Ephs pulled away from the field down the stretch, but the Herons continued to hold a three-seat advantage over Ithaca through 1,500 meters. The Bombers were able to outsprint William Smith across the line to swipe second place.
Kim Goral,
Liz Hafer,
Libby Hughes,
Claire Brown,
Jess Steketee,
Lauren Blake-Whitney,
Tess Wiggins,
Crary Chandler, and
Sarah Gordon turned in a time of 6:51.64, 0.1 seconds ahead of fourth place Puget Sound. Williams won in 6:35.28, while Ithaca logged a time of 6:50.58.
The Ephs automatically advance to tomorrow's grand final, while William Smith, Ithaca, and Puget Sound will race in the grand final qualifier at 3:15 p.m. PT (6:15 p.m. ET) today. (
Watch Online)
In the second heat, the Heron second varsity eight finished last in the seven-boat field to progress to the petite final qualifier. Bates' varsity eight won in 6:41.98, followed by the varsity eights from Wellesley and Trinity. Williams' second varsity eight took fourth, leaving Marietta's varsity eight, Ithaca's second varsity eight, and the Herons to round out the field.
Christine Babcock,
Christine Reighley,
Maggie Smith,
Laura Cappio,
Alaria Pizzo,
Katie Paige,
Sinead Reilly,
Alyssa Trebilcock, and
Leila Peraro crossed the finish line in 7:20.03.
“We gained a lot of speed over the past three weeks and we're really looking forward to showing that this afternoon and tomorrow. The team is relishing it's NCAA experience and honoring this experience with excellent rowing.”
