May 14, 2017
The University of Notre Dame rowing team finished third overall at the 2017 ACC Rowing Championship, bolstered by strong efforts from the Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight to cap the day-long competition at Lake Hartwell in Clemson, South Carolina.
The Varsity Eight crew of Emily Stinebaugh, Gretchen Bruggeman, Erin Boxberger, Treasa O’Tighearnaigh, Laura Migliore, Catherine Wagner, Elizabeth Gilbert, Lauren Saunee and coxswain Reilly Kearney finished second (6:23.172) to No. 11 Virginia (6:19.734) and just in front of No. 13 Syracuse (6:23.584). The Irish have now finished second at the ACC championship in three of the four years they have competed in the conference meet.
The Second Varsity Eight featured Mara Bhalla, Chris Schindele-Murayama, Bailey Amenabar, Erin Dolan, Elizabeth Walter, Moira Hamilton, Bridget Adam, Kelly Fischer and coxswain Samantha Hedrick. The boat placed third (6:31.967) in the Grand Final behind Syracuse (6:22.664) and Virginia (6:23.327). It is the fourth straight ACC regatta that the Second Varsity Eight has finished third in the Grand Final.
Virginia claimed the overall championship title with four race victories in the evening session to compile 96 total points and its eighth straight ACC title. Syracuse placed second with 83 points, followed by the Irish (73) and Duke (65). The third-place finish is a one-spot improvement over the team’s fourth-place slot last season, following runner up finishes at the ACC Championship in 2014 and 2015.
Freshman Emily Stinebaugh, who started her first year with the Irish in the Varsity Four, moved up to the Varsity Eight and finished the season in the first seat, was named the 2017 ACC Freshman of the Year. Senior Erin Boxberger earned first-team All-ACC honors while Treasa O’Tighearnaigh was named to the second team.
In the other Grand Final races of the day for Notre Dame, the Third Varsity Eight placed fourth, the Varsity Four fifth and the Second Varsity Four sixth.
CONFERENCE AWARDS:
ACC Coach of the Year-Justin Moore, Syracuse
ACC Crew of the Year-Syracuse Second Varsity Eight
ACC Freshman of the Year-Emily Stinebaugh, Notre Dame
2017 All-ACC Rowing Team
First Team
Coxswain-Colette Lucas-Conwell, Virginia
Georgia Ratcliff, Virginia
Erin Briggs, Virginia
Ellen Pate, Virginia
Lexie Gill, Syracuse
Hallie Taylor, Syracuse
Erin Boxberger, Notre Dame
Katherine Maitland, Duke
Sarah Podwojski, Louisville
Second Team
Coxswain–Rebecca Spraggins, Syracuse
Allie Nicholson, Virginia
Treasa O’Tighearnigh, Notre Dame
Shannon Tierney, Duke
Kirsti Harrison, Louisville
Amelia Shein, Clemson
Taegen Lynch, Miami
Kelly Williams, North Carolina
Caitlin Yaccarino, Boston College
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS:
Virginia 96
Syracuse 83
Notre Dame 73
Duke 65
Louisville 62
Clemson 49
Boston College 28
North Carolina 20
Miami (FL) 19
TEAM RECAP:
First Varsity Eight –
Preliminaries – 2nd, Heat 2, 6:49.561
Grand Final – 2nd, 6:23.172
Second Varsity Eight –
Preliminaries – 2nd, Heat 2, 6:43.259
Grand Final – 3rd, 6:31.967
First Varsity Four –
Preliminaries – 3rd, Heat 1, 7:48.659
Grand Final – 5th, 7:19.824
Second Varsity Four –
Preliminaries – 3rd, Heat 1, 7:44.642
Grand Final – 6th, 7:29.514
Third Varsity Eight –
Preliminaries – 2nd, heat 1, 6:56.671
Grand Final – 4th, 6:44.084
UP NEXT:
The Irish will see if they have earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship regatta on Tuesday, May 16, at 5 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.