Rowing Earns 2 Medals at Head of Occoquan
November 01, 2014 07:37 PM | General
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| The second novice boat, crewed by Mollie Fisher, Sarah Mitchell, Abbigail Rees, Jacqueline Spriopoulos and coxswain Carly Spear earned a silver medal earlier today. |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rowing team posted two top-five finishes in the Women’s Collegiate Novice 4+ event, earning a silver and bronze medal at the Head of the Occoquan in Fairfax, Virginia.
“Coach Merritt’s novice squad represented WVU well in their first race as Mountaineers, earning medals in the novice fours,” said coach Jimmy King. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next week in head to head competition when they scrimmage Duquesne.”
The Mountaineers had two entries in the Women’s Collegiate Novice 4+ event. The first boat, rowed by Lindsay O’Donnell, Lily Westerman, Anna Cokeley, Nikki Jarrell and coxswain Courtney Caugh earned a bronze medal (21:39.89), and the second boat, consisted of Mollie Fisher, Sarah Mitchell, Abbigail Rees, Jacqueline Spriopoulos and coxswain Carly Spear earned a silver medal (21:10.89).
“I was really pleased with how the fours preformed today. They went out in tough conditions and made the best of it, earning a silver and bronze medal finish,” said assistant coach Amanda Merritt. “This was the second time we rowed in these lineups, so I was impressed with their ability to get out there and work together.”
In the Women’s Collegiate Novice 8+ event, raced by Lindsay O’Donnell, Lorena Rose, Jordan Devine, Nikki Jarrell, Cokeley, Westerman, Rees, Spriopoulos and coxswain Caugh placed 13th (21:00.50).
The Mountaineers had two entries in the Championship Women’s 8+ race. The first varsity boat, consisted of Elizabeth Duarte, Megan Brophy, Lisa Deklau, Susannah Hartlove, Elizabeth Kantak, Louisa Morgan, Madison James, Collen Giesbrecht and coxswain Abigail Harris earned a sixth-place finish (17:57.07) out of 45 teams.
The second varsity boat, raced by Alison Coates, Aria Asselta, Emma Preson, Rebecca Gehring, Emily Stasi, Kelly Kramer, Melinda Sharon, Bethany Sapen and coxswain Brittany James placed 18th out 35 teams with a time of 18:55.09.
“Our varsity eights raced flat this morning which is not only disappointing, but unacceptable as well. Many of those rowers then had a second opportunity to race in the afternoon fours performing reasonably well against the competition,” King said.
The Mountaineers had four entries in the Women’s Championship 4+ event. The first varsity boat, consisted of Durate, Brophy, Deklau, Giesbrecht and coxswain Harris earned a fourth-place finish out of 39 entries (19:45.80). The second varsity boat, rowed by Hartlove, Gehring, Morgan, Kantak and coxswain Emily Deming placed ninth (20:07.54).
The third varsity boat, consisted of Kaitlyn Eason, Stasi, James, Sharon and coxswain Megan Haefele placed 15th (20:35.95), and the fourth varsity boat, crewed by Addie Dulaney, Alisha Brownfield, Kimberlie May, Asselta and coxswain James placed 24th with a time of 21:31.02.
“This group has to learn how to compete better, and that starts at home. Training is going well, but it’s going to take some time to build this year’s group into the team that they can be by spring,” King explained.
The Mountaineers close out the fall season as the novice squad faces Duquesne University in a scrimmage on the Monongahela River on Saturday, Nov. 7.
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