WORCESTER, Mass. - The Simmons College crew team's First Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight both finished third in their respective final races to lead the Sharks to a 13th place finish at the National Invitational Rowing Championship on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. this morning to close out the season.
The Sharks scored 22 points on the day, while third-ranked Williams College (58 points) edged number one Bates College (57 points) and number four Wellesley College (56 points) to earn the overall team championship.
Simmons 1V8 placed fifth in its opening heat with a mark of 7:59.449 and returned later in the day to cut over 43 seconds off their time to finish third in the Third Finals with a mark of 7:16.018 to come in ahead of Mount Holyoke College (7:19.735). The Sharks' seniors competed in their final collegiate race helping to comprise the shell with senior stroke Chelsea Foster (Avon, Conn.) in her final collegiate race, followed by sophomores Phoebe Knox (Scituate, Mass.), Ronnie Bennett (Pottstown, Pa.), senior Sophie Stone (Greenland, N.H.), sophomores Erica Bartle (Arlington, Mass.), Erin Lilienthal (Niantic, Conn.), senior Jess Randolph (Concord, N.C.) and classmate Jill Bolduc (Methuen, Mass.) on the bow. Junior Olivia Smiaroski (Northfield, Mass.) pushed the crew from the coxswain seat.
The Simmons 2V8 finished sixth in its mornning heat, posting a time of 8:36.698, but came back to shave nearly 54 seconds off its time, clocking in at 7:42.703 to finish third in the Third Finals in a dead heat with William Smith College (7:42.694). Sophomore Alexa Frongillo (Franklin, Mass.) led the squad from the stroke seat with first year Eliana Ruben (Pittsfield, Vt.) in the number seven seat, followed by senior Allie Belanger (Blackstone, Mass.), who competed in her final collegiate race from the sixth seat before first year Niamh McIntosh-Yee (Excelsior, Minn.), sophomores Elizabeth Rea-Wilson (Concord, Mass.) and Karina Bercan (Derry, N.H.) amd senior Abi Smith (Brookline, Mass.) in the second seat ahead of senior Rachel Corning (Ipswich, Mass.) rowing in her final race from the bow seat.
Sophomore Elsbeth Colson (Everett, Mass.) pulled from the stroke seat in the premilminary race with Rea-Wilson sitting in the seventh seat, Ruben in the number six seat, Belanger in the fifth seat, McIntosh-Yee in the number four spot, Smith in the third seat, Bercan in the second seat and Frongillo in the bow seat. Sophomore Clarice Johnson (Norwell, Mass.) served as the coxswain on in both races for the 2V8.
The Simmons Novice shell turned in a time of 8:59.565 in its first heat to place fourth, before bettering its time by more than 39 seconds at 8:20.183 to finish sixth in the Grand Finals. The first year contingent was led by Kit Birch (Mansfield, Mass.) in the stroke seat, followed by Madison Summers (Hudson, N.H.), Jacquelyn Noyes (White River Junction, Vt.), Kellie Cann (Needham, Mass.), Christine Yu (Plainville, Mass.), Kneide Nascimento (Revere, Mass.), Nicole Lee (North Reading, Mass.) and Sara Amina Hassad (Winchester, Mass.) on the bow. Melissa Morton (Somers, Conn.) directed the Sharks from the coxswain perch.