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Crew collects hardware at New England Championships

Date Posted: Monday, May 05, 2008
Posting Categories: Athletics News;Crew

The Simmons College Crew team wrapped up a successful weekend of racing in Worcester, MA. The team, along with a crowd of family and friends, traveled to the racecourse at Lake Quinsigamond to compete in the New England Rowing Championships regatta. The eights raced on Saturday, and the Fours on Sunday.

Only the Novice 8 competed on Saturday at the Eights Regatta. The novice women won their morning heat with a time of 7:17.55, followed by Tufts and Smith. The top three earned a spot in the afternoon’s Grand Final along with the top three finishers of heat 2 (Williams, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley).

 

The afternoon Grand Final was a race between the two top-seeded crews. Simmons and Williams pulled away from the pack within the first thousand meters of the race, but Williams gained an edge early on in the race to take the gold in a time of 7:04.45. Simmons took the silver with a time of 7:15.06. Despite the end of their winning streak, “I am thrilled with their result,” said Novice Coach Naomi Rudov. “After our close race with Williams earlier in the season, the women knew they were in for a fight. They came prepared and gave it everything.”

 

"The Novice 8 has come a long way this season, and getting a silver medal behind Williams is proof of that,” said 4-seat Sara Keyser. “The heat was one of our best rows together— we went in relaxed and confident. But despite our best efforts, Williams was able to pull ahead in the first 500m of the final and we weren’t able to close the gap for the rest of the race.” According to Head Coach Nikolay Kurmakov, this Silver medal is the first earned by a Simmons Novice 8 crew at the NERC since 1988.

 

Sunday’s Fours Championships saw the launch of four different Simmons boats onto the course. The 1st Novice 4 placed fourth in a tough heat and missed out on the Grand Final by 9 seconds.

 

The 2nd Novice Four race was a nail-biter. In a three-boat Grand Final, Simmons raced neck and neck with Connecticut College through the first thousand meters, the two boats drawing away to a 20-second open-water gap on Amherst College. Simmons and Connecticut traded the lead a handful of times as each crew sought to take a decisive lead, until Simmons caught a boat-stopping crab and veered off the racecourse.

 

As Simmons struggled to recover, Connecticut and Amherst raced away down the course. After a long pause, Simmons finally found their pace again, and in dramatic style sprinted down to the finish line and crossed just 3 seconds behind Amherst, to take third place. Connecticut won the race with a time of 8:22.23. “Watching the 2nd Novice 4 make an amazing comeback after catching a crab was so inspiring. With the help of their coxswain Kyle (Whiteley), they were able to pull it together and make up enough time to almost snatch second,” said Keyser.

 

The two Varsity boats had a less dramatic Sunday. The 2nd Varsity 4 won their heat, and went on to win Gold in the afternoon final. Led by novice coxswain Lauren Johnson, and followed by Rachel Franchi (4), Julianne Davis (3), Caitlin Urciuoli (2), and Lauren Searls (1), the winning time for Simmons was 7:47.35, four seconds ahead of second-place Amherst College, and eight seconds behind third-place Connecticut College. “When we entered the last 500 meters, we were taking strokes for more than a Gold medal,” said Franchi. “We were doing it for each other, for our coaches, for everyone supporting us. It was a weekend of racing that defined our team's work all year long, and it was invigorating to be a part of it." This Gold medal is the second year in a row the 2nd Varsity 4 has won the NERC Grand Final.

 

The 1st Varsity 4, coxed by Nicole Gallant, won both their heat and the Grand Final. Rowers Whitney Airgood (4), Elizabeth Schwarz (3), Jen Dubois (2) and Nicole Richards (1), along with their Gallant, turned in a Gold medal performance with a time of 7:28.31, seven seconds ahead of second-place WPI and 9 seconds ahead of third-place Connecticut College. “Swimming in a cold lake has never felt so good,” said Gallant, referring to the traditional post-win coxswain toss into the lake. “After watching the second varsity four have such an amazing finish our varsity four was so pumped up for our own race we couldn't wait to be out at the starting line!” This is the first Gold medal for a Simmons Varsity 4 since 1982.

 

Simmons Crew took home the New England Cup for the Women’s Fours Team Points Trophy, and the Jeppson Bowl (awarded to the Varsity Four). The team also won the Points Trophy at the 2007 regatta. “Racing in New England’s was challenging on many levels—we had to dig deep not only for physical strength, but mental strength, and I believe it's a finely tuned balance of both that resulted in our success.” Another boost came from the Simmons cheering section that braved the rainy conditions to watch the team race. “I saw outstanding teamwork this weekend, and part of it was the support of all parents and friends,” said Kurmakov.

 

The Varsity Four and Novice Eight will both compete next weekend at the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships, again in Worcester.