MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rowing team raced its way to six top-three finishes on Saturday, as the Mountaineers competed at the 35th annual Head of the Occoquan, at Sandy Run Regional Park, in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
"It was great having the varsity and novice squads competing together at the Head of the Occoquan this year," WVU coach
Jimmy King said. "These races are good for a loose comparison of how we're doing relative to some of our usual rivals, but nothing more than that. Now, it's back to work with a focus on continual improvement."
West Virginia began the event at 11:40 a.m. ET, in the Collegiate Varsity Women's 8+ race, where the Mountaineers crossed the finish line in 17:55.86 to place fourth. WVU finished just 1.1 seconds shy of Duquesne, who took third place.
In the Collegiate Junior Varity Women's 8+ race, WVU finished in 18:40.25 to claim a third-place finish. Georgetown (17:41.62) and George Washington (18:00.84) finished first and second, respectively.
Four Mountaineer boats competed in the Collegiate Frosh/Novice Women's 4+ event, marking the novice squad's first intercollegiate competition at WVU.
The first WVU boat to cross the finish line, coxed by
Isabelle Hidalgo, came in at 22:00.03 to finish in second place. A second Mountaineer boat, coxed by
Kayli Kotchian, followed just 11 seconds behind to claim third place (23:11.91).
The third WVU boat to finish in Novice Women's 4+ event, coxed by
Lucie Steinmetz, crossed the finish in line 23:46.43 to capture a sixth-place finish. The final novice 4+ boat, coxed by
Amanda Starliper, finished just under four seconds behind the third boat to finish seventh (23:50.36).
Following a break in competition, West Virginia began the afternoon session in the Collegiate Frosh/Novice Women's 8+ event, where the Mountaineer novice squad boated two 8s. The first crew to finish, coxed by Steinmetz, finished in 21:53.44 to claim seventh place. WVU's second boat, coxed by Starliper, crossed the finish line in 22:09.74 to finish in 10th place.
"Overall, we had very successful day," WVU assistant coach
Tina Griffith said. "They (the novice squad) handled the new environment well and were able to find some success out on the water. We are looking forward to stepping up next week when we see Duquesne again."
In the Collegiate Varsity Women's 4+ race, the Mountaineers boated two 4s. The first WVU crew to cross the finish line, coxed by
Olivia Martinelli, came in third place after posting a time of 20:07.82. WVU's second boat, coxed by
Sydney VanAuken, finished in 21:48.64 to place 12th.
West Virginia concluded Saturday's regatta in the Collegiate Junior Varsity Women's 4+ event and boated two 4s. The first WVU crew, coxed by
Gabrielle Boylan, captured a first-place finish in the final event for WVU, after posting a time of 20:41.50. The Mountaineers' second 4 boat, coxed by
Amanda Mahany, followed behind the first crew to secure second place (21:00.29).
In total, West Virginia captured seven finishes within the top five, six within the top three and three within the top two, including one first-place finish.
Lineups, from bow to stern, are listed below:
Varsity 8+: Lindsay Krawczyk,
Danielle Shuttleworth,
Lize Morris,
Janae Hurst,
Kaira Lay,
Alissa Johnson,
Allyson George,
Hannah Simmerly;
Coxswain: Amanda Mahany
Junior Varsity 8+: Madisyn Lee,
Katherine McMullen,
Madison Lindung,
Kileigh Lade,
Megan Casner,
Emma Toy,
Hannah Hammon,
Lydia Nicolai;
Coxswain: Maura Harkins
Varsity 4+ 'A': Kaira Lay,
Alissa Johnson,
Allyson George,
Hannah Simmerly;
Coxswain: Olivia Martinelli
Varsity 4+ 'B': Danielle Shuttleworth,
Lydia Nicolai,
Janae Hurst,
Lindsay Krawczyk;
Coxswain: Sydney VanAuken
Junior Varsity 4+ 'A': Hannah Hammon,
Lize Morris,
Megan Casner,
Emma Toy;
Coxswain: Gabrielle Boylan
Junior Varsity 4+ 'B': Katherine McMullen,
Madison Lindung,
Kileigh Lade,
Madisyn Lee;
Coxswain: Amanda Mahany
Frosh/Novice 8+ 'A': Rebecca McCracken,
Alexandria Fabiano,
Kathleen Meldrum,
Kara Phelps,
Lisa Eller,
Kalyse Wood,
Madison Schauer,
Marissa Venezia;
Coxswain: Isabelle Hidalgo
Frosh/Novice 8+ 'B': Alexis Moody,
Calla Solomon,
Elizabeth Cassidy,
Michaela Pulick,
Ruth Mierzejewski,
Meredith Pavlovich,
Lindsey Crum,
Laura Yates;
Coxswain: Lucie Steinmatez
Frosh/Novice 4+ 'A': Lisa Eller,
Madison Schauer,
Rebecca McCracken,
Marissa Venezia;
Coxswain: Isabelle Hidalgo
Frosh/Novice 4+ 'B': Lindsey Crum,
Michaela Pulick,
Kara Phelps,
Kalyse Wood;
Coxswain: Lucie Steinmetz
Frosh/Novice 4+ 'C': Gabrielle Riggleman,
Kathleen Meldrum,
Calla Solomon,
Alexandria Fabiano;
Coxswain: Kayli Kotchian
Frosh/Novice 4+ 'D': Pareera Uqaily,
Meredith Pavlovich,
Ruth Mierzejewski,
Laura Yates;
Coxswain: Amanda Starliper
Looking Ahead
West Virginia concludes its fall season on Friday, Nov. 8, as the Mountaineers' novice squad travels to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for a scrimmage against Duquesne.
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