Results on Row2k.com

The third-ranked William Smith College rowing team got a pair of victories from its top two crews in Worcester, Mass. The Heron varsity eight picked another win over nationally ranked crews, dispatching No. 11 Washington College and No. 14 WPI.

On Lake Quinsigmond for the second straight day, William Smith's varsity eight covered the 2,000-meter course in 6:37.2. With more favorable conditions and a more technically sound race, the Herons were more than 43 seconds faster than yesterday. The Shorewomen finished second, 8.6 second behind. The Engineers were third followed by Tufts, RIT and Skidmore. Kim Goral, Liz Hafer, Sinead Reilly, Lauren Blake-Whitney, Sarah Gordon, Katie Paige, Tess Wiggins, Alyssa Trebilcock and Jess Steketee powered William Smith to victory.

In the second varsity eight, Emily Davidowitz, Claire Brown, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Hughes, Caroline DeWeirdt, Laura Cappio, Leila Peraro, Anola Stage, and Amanda Reusch used an explosive first 500 meters to build a nearly 3-second lead. William Smith added almost 2 more seconds to its lead down the stretch, finishing in 6:58.96. WPI was second in 7:03.36 with RIT and Tufts completing the field.

In the novice eight race, the Herons came up 3.6 seconds short in a head-to-head dual with the Jumbos. William Smith crossed the finish line in 7:09.1.

"The team is really distinguishing itself by being able to immediately put into play changes from the day before," William Smith Head Coach Sandra Chu said. "The 1V recovered really well from the mistakes it made yesterday to put together a race that was top-notch. We saw a similar improvement in the 2V. In past races, they've been struggling with their ability to hold onto their early lead and recover any seats they've lost. Today, they found themselves in that same situtaion and prevailed.

"It's rewarding to see everything coming together."

The Herons will attempt to defend their Liberty League Championship on Saturday, April 28 on Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.