LOWELL, Mass. - The Novice 4 earned a first place finish at the 35th Textile River Regatta to lead the Simmons crew team today on the Merrimac River in Lowell, Mass. The six kilometer regatta was the first of the season for the Sharks and presented by the Merrimac River Rowing Association from the Bellegarde Boathouse.

The Novice 4, comprised of Michelle Crosier, Erin Lilienthal, Veronica Bennett and Phoebe Knox with first year Clarice Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) serving as the coxswain, crossed the finish ahead of nine other shells with a time of 24:28.1 to pick up the gold for the Sharks. The Simmons entrant finished 99 seconds ahead of Assumption College's mark of 26:07.5.

The Novice 8 also performed well for the Sharks, earning a medal with a third-place showing on a time of 24:44.1. First year Karina Bercan (Derry, N.H.), Crosier, first year Eleanor Pullan (Northampton, Mass.), Elsbeth Colson (Everett, Mass.), Lilienthal, first year Celeste Kurz (West Hartford, Conn.), Knox and Bennett were led by first year coxswain Wren Tenore (Rocky Hill, Conn.). The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (A) crew won the race with a time of 24:09.7.

Simmons finished second in the Varsity Double, powered by the duo of junior Abi Smith (Brookline, Mass.) and senior Laura Matt (Fairfax Station, Va.) with a time of 28:04.8. The College of the Holy Cross took the race with a 26:50.5 finish.

The Sharks' Varsity 8 turned in a seventh-place effort with a time of 22:40.9 behind the strength of junior Rachel Corning (Ipswich, Mass.), senior Nicole Poirier (Wayland, Mass.), juniors Jill Bolduc (Methuen, Mass.), Chelsea Foster (Avon, Conn.), senior Eva Weber (Guilford, Conn.), Kendall Trautman, junior Sophie Stone (Greenland, N.H.) and junior Allie Belanger (Blackstone, Mass.) with senior Emme Rosenberg (Pittsburgh, Pa.) seated as the coxswain. Wesleyan University (A) earned the first place standing with a mark of 21:24.2

The Varsity 4 was the final entrant of the day for Simmons, finishing 23rd with a time of 28:12.2. Smith, sophomore Mellyssa de Paiva (Bedford, N.H.), junior Alexa Gallishaw (Seekonk, Mass.) and Matt were led by junior coxswain Jessica Randolph (Concord, N.C.). Bowdoin College's (A) crew posted the top time of 23:49.6 to take the race.

The Sharks will race again on Saturday, October 11 when they compete in the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta in Shrewsbury, Mass.