Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Rowing Ranked Second in Mid-Atlantic Region
5/14/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
May 14, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - After winning its second consecutive Patriot League Championship as well as the ECAC Metro Championship in back-to-back weekends, the Bucknell women's rowing team completed its season ranked second in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region. The Bison trail only Princeton, which saw its varsity eight win last year's national title.
The Mid-Atlantic Region consists of 21 teams, including national powers Princeton and Penn in addition to Patriot League foes Navy and Colgate. Penn and Navy are ranked third and fourth in the team rankings, while Syracuse and Columbia round out the six ranked squads. All three Bucknell varsity boats were also recognized in the individual boat rankings.
"By our own calculations we probably finished 2006 ranked somewhere in the middle of the 21 teams in the region, so moving up to second in the rankings is a great accomplishment for this team," explained Bucknell head coach Stephen Kish, who is in his 11th year guiding the Bison program and is a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year.
The championship results of the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four are considered in the rankings. The success of Bucknell's varsity eight has a lot to do with the lofty team ranking for the Bison. The varsity eight, which was named the Patriot League Boat of the Year for the second straight season, posted a nearly flawless 8-1 record this spring.
All three of the Bison varsity boats won their events at the Patriot League Championship to sweep the event over second-place Navy. The following weekend at the ECAC Metro Championship, the trio of boats again swept their events beating perennial power Massachusetts as well as up-and-coming programs including Rhode Island and Buffalo.
The Bison varsity lightweight eight still has one more event this year as it will be competing at the IRA National Championship Regatta the first weekend in June. Bucknell posted a sixth-place finish in the grand final last year, marking the best showing in program history.
MID-ATLANTIC REGION RANKINGS (only top 6 teams are ranked)
1. Princeton
2. Bucknell
3. Penn
4. Navy
5. Syracuse
6. Columbia
Other teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region:
Buffalo
Colgate
Cornell
Delaware
Fordham
Georgetown
George Mason
George Washington
Iona
Loyola
Rutgers
Saint Joseph's
Massachusetts
Villanova
West Virginia
