Complete results on Row2k.com

GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith rowing team won two of three races against Liberty League rival Rochester in head-to-head racing on the Seneca-Cayuga Canal. The Herons emerged victorious in the second varsity eight and novice eight events, while the Yellowjackets captured the varsity eight.

"I was impressed by the squad's tenacity and patience, part of our race that we have been working on," Head Coach Sandra Chu said. "In head current and headwind conditions, this was a very long race and we stuck to our guns all the way to the finish. We have some work to do and we look forward to seeing Rochester again at States."

The crews battled strong head current and cross winds that created chop out on the 2-kilometer course. The William Smith second varsity eight—Christine Babcock, Tallarie Thurgood, Alaria Pizzo, Alayna Beebe, Laura Cappio, Sarah Hollingshead, Jenna Lohre, Emily Desmery, and Jess Steketee—enjoyed an open water victory over Rochester's second and third varsity eights. The Herons came across the finish line in 8 minutes, 10.69 seconds, more than seven seconds ahead of the Yellowjackets' 2V8 (8:17.91) and nearly 24 seconds in front of the 3V8 (8:34.66).

The novice eight race was plagued by wind issues. William Smith narrowly avoided running aground, while Rochester missed a bouy, drifting into the Herons' lane. William Smith was forced to stop to avoid a collision and the Yellowjackets were assessed a 10-second penalty, giving the Herons the victory (8:43.39 to 8:48.34). The William Smith novice eight was powered by Violet Cowan, Syd Cheney, Madison Finley, Emily Shelden, Liz Hafer, Sarah Gordon, Irini Stamatiou, Nora Devine-Carter, and Leila Peraro.

In a battle of regionally ranked crews, No. 3 Rochester held off No. 4 William Smith in the varsity eight race. The Yellowjackets covered the course in 7:44.65, while the Herons logged a time of 7:47.91.

The Herons will be back on the water on April 17, when they visit UMass-Lowell.