SHREWSBURY, Mass. - The Simmons College crew team's top Varsity Eight and second Varsity Eight placed first in their respective races at the Clark Invitational this morning on Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury, Mass.

The Sharks One Varsity Eight finished more than 10 seconds ahead of University of Vermont with a mark of 7:08.2 today on the 2000 meter course on Lake Quinsigamond. Simmons' eight of junior Chelsea Foster (Avon, Conn.), first years Phoebe Knox (Scituate, Mass.), Ronnie Bennett (Pottstown, Pa.), junior Sophie Stone (Greenland, N.H.), senior Nicole Poirier (Wayland, Mass.), first year Erin Lilienthal (East Lyme, Conn.), senior Laura Matt (Fairfax Station, Va.) and junior bow Jill Bolduc (Methuen, Mass.) with sophomore coxswain Olivia Smiaroski (Northfield, Mass.) directing the crew took advantage of calm conditions to gain the victory. Vermont finished second with a time of 7:18.y, while University of Massachusetts Lowell placed third with a time of 7:20.0 to just edge out Mount Holyoke College (7:20.9) by less than a second. Host Clark University finished fifth at 7:40.6.

The Sharks second Varsity Eight dominated its race, winning by almost 27 seconds over Clark University. The crew of first year Erica Bartle (Arlington, Mass.), senior Eva Weber (Guilford, Conn.), first years Michelle Crosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Eleanor Pullan (Northampton, Mass.), juniors Jess Randolph (Concord, N.C), Rachel Corning (Ipswich, Mass.), Abi Smith (Brookline, Mass.), first year bow Karina Bercan (Derry, N.H.) and first year coxswain Clarice Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) turned in a time of 8:02.7 to outdistance Clark, which finished with a mark of 8:29.1. Simmons "B" entry placed third in the race with a time of 8:39.3. The shell was powered by first years Alexa Frongillo (Franklin, Mass.), Valarie Frost (Beaverton, Ore.), Elizabeth Rea-Wilson (Concord, Mass.), junior Fernanda Tapia (Edinburg, Texas), first years Natalie Moore (Colorado Springs, Mass.), Kait Fierlit (Hamden, Conn.), Wren Tenore (Rocky Hill, Conn.), first year bow Sophie Ulyatt (Edgartown, Mass.) and first year coxswain Emily Alpert (Marlboro, Mass.).