MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rowing team finished fifth at the Ford Lake Cup on Saturday, April 26, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
 
The regatta was held at Ford Lake, the home course of Eastern Michigan and host of the upcoming 2025 USRowing RowFest National Championships. The Mountaineers faced off against Bucknell, Delaware, Duquesne, Eastern Michigan, Temple, Massachusetts, and High Point on a windy and chilly Saturday.
 
In the Mountaineers' debut on the lake, the 1V8+ started the day with a fourth-place finish in the second heat. It advanced to the B Finals which were then cancelled due to the wind and weather conditions.
 
The 2V8+ had a solid showing, earning a second-place finish to Bucknell and advanced to the A finals.  It continued the strong racing, battling Delaware and Eastern Michigan for a podium finish but fell just short and took fourth.
 
The 1V4+ had a solid race in its heat, beating out both High Point and Eastern Michigan and taking second to Bucknell. In the A final, the 1V4+ was in second place through the first half of the race but fell to fifth by the end.
 
In an unfortunate turn of events, the 2V4+ and the 3V8+ were shifted to a finals-only race, which was then cancelled due to the weather.
 
The 2V8+ was the best race of the day for WVU in the second heat recording a second-place finish to Bucknell. It went on to take fourth in the A finals. The 1V4+ followed that with a second-place finish, as well, in the first heat and came in at fifth in the A finals.
 
"Coming off a second-place finish in our heat, I couldn't be prouder of how the 2V8+ crew responded," junior coxswain Grace Holliday said. "Despite the cold and wind, we stayed hyped, locked into every stroke and raced hard against tough competition, maintaining focus in the boat from start to finish. Qualifying for the A final and being competitive in that final shows our training and teamwork are really paying off."
 
The Mountaineers return to action Saturday, May 3, hosting Robert Morris and Duquesne on the Monongahela River, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
 
CLICK HERE for full results of the Ford Lake Cup.
 
Ford Lake Cup Lineups (bow to stroke with coxswain)
1V8+               Lauren Mueller, Alexis Mitchell, Raquel Iga, Ksenia Kaludjerovic,
                        Violet Hewett, Nikolina Djordjevic, Teegan Wendley, Abigail Yingling
                        with Grace Terlion
2V8+               Lucille Pratt, Samantha Krankowski, Emma Higgins, Kate Conard,
                        Grace Cronen, Adriana Hogan, Brooke Plummer, Alanna Dunnigan
                        with Grace Holliday
1V4+               Jessica Gaston, Bailey South, Kayla Surovi, Una Ilic with Grace Fay