WVU Rowing’s Collegiate Double Earns Season-Opening Win

Saturday, October 26

Philadelphia, PA

West Virginia University

Head of the Schuylkill

WVU Rowing’s Collegiate Double Earns Season-Opening Win

October 28, 2024 10:22 AM | Rowing

By: Farris Murad

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rowing team opened its fall season this past Saturday at the 54^th Annual Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"While our fours performed reasonably well in their first competition of the year, our eights did not," coach Jimmy King said. "Although fall racing does not count towards anything in the spring championship season, we still want to perform well, and it's disappointing when we don't."

Highlighting the regatta for WVU was the Women's Collegiate Double, which garnered a first-place finish behind the efforts of junior Nikolina Djordjevic and senior Ksenia Kaludjerovic.

"Ksenia has expressed interest for a while in doing a fall sculling race if the opportunity arose," King said. "Paired with Nikolina, they made the most of their opportunity to return to their sculling roots to win their category. They handled the windy, choppy conditions quite well considering the limited sculling time they've had this fall."

The Mountaineers began the day in the Women's Championship 4s with coxswain. With four entries racing with 72 other boats, every WVU boat finished in the top half of the division. The best finish came from junior Adriana Hogan, sophomore Lauren Mueller, freshman Kate Conard, sophomore Samantha Krankowski with senior coxswain Grace Fay in 15^th place.

"We have a very young team this year with lots of potential that's full of optimism for the spring season," King said. "These racing performances reflect that, while our land training is going well, we need to improve our efficiency on the water; fortunately, that's wholly within our control."

West Virginia also finished in the top half of a 48-boat division in the Women's Club Championship 8s, securing 21^st place with a boat of senior Bailey South, sophomore Addison Dobson, junior Emma Higgins, sophomore Jessica Gaston, sophomore Olivia Martens, freshman Brooke Plummer, sophomore Raquel Iga, freshman Lucille Pratt with junior coxswain Grace Holliday.

Concluding the day for WVU was the Women's Championship 8s, rowed by Mueller, Hogan, senior Violet Hewett, freshman Alanna Dunnigan, sophomore Teegan Wendley, Conard, Krankowski, sophomore Alexis Mitchell with junior coxswain Grace Terlion.

The Mountaineers return to action Saturday, Nov. 9, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to take on Duquesne.

Full Results can be found here.

Head of the Schuylkill Lineups/Results
Women's Championship Fours with Coxswain (76 competitors)
15^th - Hogan, Mueller, Conard, Krankowski with Fay
17^th - Hewett, Dunnigan, Wendley, Mitchell with Holliday
31^st - Dobson, Iga, Plummer, Cronen with Terlion
36^th- South, Gaston, sophomore Una Ilic, Pratt with coxswain Marley Sullivan

Women's Club Championship Eights (48 competitors)
21^st - South, Dobson, Higgins, Gaston, Martens, Plummer, Iga, Pratt with Holliday

Women's Collegiate Doubles (7 competitors)
1^st - Kaludjerovic, Djordjevic

Women's Championship Eights (22 competitors)
20^th - Mueller, Hogan, Hewett, Dunnigan, Wendley, Conard, Krankowski, Mitchell with Terlion