Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championship
BUCKNELL WOMEN'S ROWING CAPTURES SECOND STRAIGHT PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
4/29/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
April 29, 2007
WORCESTER, Mass. (Lake Quinsigamond) - The varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four all won by at least five seconds as the Bucknell women's rowing team swept all three races at Sunday morning's Patriot League Championships on Lake Quinsigamond to win its second consecutive league title. Bison head coach Stephen Kish was awarded his second Coach of the Year honor, while the varsity eight copped Boat of the Year plaudits for the second consecutive season.
Bucknell, which was picked first in the preseason poll, accumulated a record-tying 30 points by sweeping all three races. Runner-up Navy, which won the inaugural Patriot League title two years ago, grabbed 24 points by finishing second in every race. Colgate finished third with 16 points, while Holy Cross and Lehigh finished with 10 points apiece.
The varsity four opened things up on a good note for the Bison with a time of 7 minutes, 32.10 seconds. Navy was second in the event at 7:37.68. Colgate (7:40.71), Lehigh (8:01.67) and Holy Cross (8:17.41) rounded out the field. Bucknell's varsity four, which has now won at the Patriot League Championships each of the last two years, consisted of Lauren Yee (coxswain), Gillian Carter (stroke), Erin Henry (3), Elizabeth Regan (2) and Susan Shadle (bow).
The second varsity eight exacted revenge on Navy, which defeated it by just over a second at last year's championship, equaling the largest margin of victory of the three races as it crossed the line in 6:42.83, nearly six seconds ahead of Navy's time of 6:48.39. No other boat was within 15 seconds of the top two as Holy Cross (7:04.04), Colgate (7:12.39) and Lehigh (7:14.48) each took longer than seven minutes to complete the race. The Bison second varsity eight included Katie Kessler (coxswain), Lauren Olsen (stroke), Laura Roberts (7), Sophie Bird (6), Renee Alemi (5), Brittany Kaplan (4), Meghan Murphy (3), Olivia Knodt (2) and Devon Mitchell (bow).
Bucknell entered the varsity eight race knowing it had to finish better than Navy or risk a tie as it entered the competition three points better than the Mids. The Bison came through with a commanding five-second victory over Navy, a team it had already defeated at the Murphy Cup last month, to clinch the title. The Bison finished in 6:34.47, while Navy's runner-up time was 6:39.53. Colgate was third in 6:48.94, while Lehigh (6:56.17) and Holy Cross (7:05.88) were fourth and fifth. Bucknell's varsity eight, which included five holdovers from last year's Boat of the Year, consisted of Jeweliet Yost (coxswain), Kelly Henkler (stroke), Jennie Trayes (7), Katherine Brewster-Duffy (6), Christine Drasba (5), Betsy Schneider (4), Page Kannor (3), Caitlin Doolin (2) and Whittney Henry (bow).
"Coming into the championship as the favorite was a new experience for us," commented Kish. "I am really proud of the way they handled the pressure and expectations. It is a great day for the program in what is turning out to be a dream of a year."
The women's rowing title is the fifth Patriot League championship for Bucknell in 2006-07. The Bison women's cross country, women's indoor track and field, men's soccer and men's golf squads have also won titles. Additionally, the women's basketball and women's soccer teams won regular-season crowns, while the men's basketball team shared the regular-season title with Holy Cross.
Team Scores
1. Bucknell, 30
2. Navy, 24
3. Colgate, 16
4. Holy Cross, 10
Lehigh, 10
Varsity Four Results (points)
1. Bucknell, 7:32.10 (5)
2. Navy, 7:37.66 (4)
3. Colgate, 7:40.71 (3)
4. Lehigh, 8:01.67 (2)
5. Holy Cross, 8:17.41 (1)
Second Varsity Eight Results (points)
1. Bucknell, 6:42.83 (10)
2. Navy, 6:48.39 (8)
3. Holy Cross, 7:04.04 (6)
4. Colgate, 7:12.39 (4)
5. Lehigh, 7:14.48 (2)
Varsity Eight (points)
1. Bucknell, 6:34.47 (15)
2. Navy, 6:39.53 (12)
3. Colgate, 6:48.94 (9)
4. Lehigh, 6:56.17 (6)
5. Holy Cross, 7:03.88 (3)
