Nov. 4, 2007
Chicago, Ill. – The Notre Dame rowing team got back in the competitive waters for the first time in four weeks on Sunday afternoon as the Irish participated in the Cal-Sag Collegiate Rowing Regatta hosted by the Chicago Rowing Center on Blue Island. In addition to Notre Dame, competing in the event were Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Notre Dame entered four boats in the varsity eight competition and two crews in the novice eight race. The featured event was the varsity eight head race in the morning with the Irish boats finishing eighth, 14th, 16th and 18th. Those same varsity eight boats came back in the afternoon to compete in a 2,000-meter race. In the novice eight race, Notre Dame placed eighth and 15th among the 17 participants.
Notre Dame’s top varsity eight crew of coxswain Kelsey Otero, Anni Nowhitney, Lauren Buck, Allison Marsh, Christine Trezza, Mary Quinn, Kristan Madison, Julie Sobolewski and Amanda Polk finished with a time 16:19.40, 24 to take eighth place. Wisconsin posted a winning time of 15:45.0.
In the 2,000-meter race, recorded the best time in the varsity eight Final B race with a time of 6:58.53, followed by Iowa (7:01.69), Wisconsin (7:01.70) and Indiana (7:02.81).
The crew of coxswain Christina Padayhag, Laura Petnuch, Anka Jedry, Emily Crosby, Mary Kate McNamara, Elli Greybar, Erica Copeland, Casey Robinson and Kendra Short was the second Irish boat to cross the finish line in 14th place with a time of 16:41.0. That same crew rowed in the varsity eight Final D and placed third overall with a time of 7:03.06, just behind Michigan State (6:49.75) and Wisconsin (7:02.50).
Notre Dame’s third crew consisted of coxswain Stephanie Szegedi, Danielle Leary, Kaitlin Jackson, Lindsay McQuaid, Casey Fairbanks, Elizabeth Peters, Carol Ann Michel, Mallory Glass and Brittney Kelly took 16th overall with a time of 16:44.6. They followed that performance up by finishing fourth in the varsity Final D 2,000-meter race with a time 7:12.70.
Notre Dame’s final boat in the varsity eight event was the crew of coxswain Sarah Keithley, Bridget Leone, Andrea Archer, Hannah Jackson, Alyssa Teves, Brittany Burnham, Kellyn Nestor, Emily Backer and Casey Sullivan. That crew finished 18th in 16:56.2 and took third in the 2,000-meter varsity eight Final E race with a time 7:08.94, behind Wisconsin (6:59.19) and Iowa (7:06.44) and ahead of Indiana (7:27.25.
In the novice eight race, the crew of coxswain Rachel Louie, Sarah Johnson, Shannon Kiernan, Katherine Linnemanstons, Stephanie Gretsch, Cailey Ryckman, Mary Teresa DiSipio and Kathryn Thornton finished eigthth among the 17 boats entered in the race with a time of 18:07, while the crew of coxswain Christy Le, Melissa Nolan, Erika Shults, Sarah Gray, Elise Smith, Meeghan Miller, Amanda Cosfol, Elaine Amoresano and Neva Lundy took 15th in 19:23.40.
“I was a disappointed in our racing today because I didn’t think that we met our expectations,” Irish head coach Martin Stone said. “I thought we raced better in the afternoon and learned from the morning session. Overall though, we were hoping to have better results today. I think that we know what we need to do as far as training in order to race faster.
“This was a tremendous event for us to participate in and a very well-run regatta.”