Women's Rowing | 5/26/2017 7:56:00 PM
WEST WINDSOR, NJ – The No. 8 RIT women's crew team began competition on Friday, May 26 in the 2017 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships on Mercer Lake. The Tigers' varsity eight and second varsity eights lined up against the best crews in the nation.
RIT's second varsity eight started the morning heats squaring off against No. 1 Bates and No. 3 Ithaca College. The Bobcats won with a time of 6:53.083 to secure the heat's one spot in Saturday's grand final. The Bombers finished second in 7:04.089 and the Tigers crossed the line third with a time of 7:18.778.
In the afternoon's repechage, the Tigers' second varsity eight faced No. 2 Williams, Ithaca and No. 13 Washington College. The top two crews would progress to tomorrow's grand final while the remaining two boats would go to the petite final. RIT surged off the line and attacked every stroke, pushing the rate and hanging with the Ephs and the Bombers down the course. The Tigers executed an early sprint to pull their bow within less than two seats of first, stopping the clock at 7:00.481, just one second off second place Williams (6:59.581). Senior six seat
Lauren Asselmeyer (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) reflected, "In some of the roughest conditions of the season, we had our best race and fought hard." Ithaca earned first with a time of 6:57.291 and Washington was fourth in 7:22.327.
The Tigers' varsity eight was pitted against No. 2 Williams, No. 3 Ithaca and No. 6 Wesleyan University (CT) in the morning heat. The Ephs and the Bombers secured the heat's two spots in Saturday's grand final, finishing first and second, respectively. Williams, the nine-time national champions won the heat, crossing the line with a time of 6:30.926. RIT finished fourth, stopping the clock at 6:53.746.
This afternoon, in the repechage, the varsity eight lined up alongside No. 7 Pacific Lutheran University, Wesleyan and Washington. The top two finishers would advance to the grand final with the remaining two crews progressing to petite final. RIT jumped off the line in second, establishing a good rhythm through the middle thousand. Pacific Lutheran moved into the lead at one point, but the Tigers were relentless and shifted into another gear in the sprint to secure second with a time of 6:43.198. Wesleyan posted a winning time of 6:42.191.
The Tigers will be back on the water tomorrow morning, Saturday, May 27. The second varsity eight, comprised of
Francesca Scumaci (Fairport, NY/Fairport),
Emma Will (Squantum, MA/Woodward School for Girls),
Emma Kate Flanagan (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs), Asselmeyer,
Mickyla Schnupp (Fairport, NY/Fairport),
Olivia Sanders (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge),
Catherine Evans (Sharon, PA),
Colleen Albert (Burlington, CT/Lewis S. Mills) and
Tiffany Cao (Buffalo, NY/Hutchinson Central Technical) will compete in the petite final against Washington at 11:00am.
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Erin Loughran (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy),
Amy Guthrie (Essex Junction, VT/Essex),
Emma Kohler (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius),
Taylor Blackwell (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland),
Cassandra Killion (New Plymouth, ID/Nampa Christian),
Hayley Richardson (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk),
Clarissa Brown (Fairport, NY/Fairport),
Colleen Ryan (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) and
Claire Thomas (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland), the varsity eight will compete in the grand final against Bates, Wellesley, Ithaca, Wesleyan and Williams at 11:36am.
The NCAA Championships are live-streamed at
ncaa.com. Live results will also be posted online throughout the weekend.
