Results

The William Smith rowing team kicked off its spring racing season in the Cayuga Duals hosted by Ithaca College on the Cayuga Inlet. The Heron varsity eight, which is ranked second in the nation by the CRCA/USRowing poll, won its showdown with the No. 10 Bombers and No. 7 Marietta.

William Smith's top crew—Kim Goral, Jess Steketee, Lauren Blake-Whitney, Sinead Reilly, Katie Paige, Sarah Gordon, Laura Cappio, Libby Hughes, and Alyssa Trebilcock—turned in a dominant performance in the morning's showdown against Ithaca and Marietta. The Herons seized the right off the start and steadily pulled away down the 2,000-meter course. William Smith crossed the finish line in 7:21.9 for an open-water victory. The Bombers were more than 11 seconds back with a time of 7:33.4. The Pioneers were a distant third in 7:45.0.

"The 1V rowed a dominant race, taking a lead by the third stroke and then opening that margin throughout the race," Head Coach Sandra Chu said. "They had a very effective sprint, probably one of the best I've seen in the program's history."

The Heron second varsity eight also raced Ithaca and Marietta in the morning. William Smith trailed the Bombers through the midpoint of the race and clipped a bridge abutment, ending their hopes of a comeback. 

"It's an unfortunate error, but one the coxswain will learn from," Chu said."I was very proud of the boat's ability to keep their heads in the race and finish to a high standard."

The second varsity eight posted a time of 7:56.6. Ithaca won the race in 7:35.9 with the Pioneers again placing third in 8:02.3.

The Heron third varsity eight and novice eight finished behind Ithaca in a head-to-head race.

In the afternoon, William Smith's varsity eight and second varsity eight dropped dual races against Division I Cornell. The Big Red's varsity eight is ranked 15th in the nation in the Division I CRCA/USRowing poll. The Heron third varsity eight and novice eight raced against Ithaca a second time. The N8 executed a much improved race, trailing the Bombers 3V8 by just 0.3 seconds.

William Smith returns to the water on Saturday, April 6, when the Herons take on top-ranked Williams in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.