Oct. 23, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. – The University of Notre Dame women’s four boat, in its first taste of competitive action on the season, earned a fifth-place finish in the championship four race at the Head of the Charles Regatta on the Charles River on Sunday. The Irish finish also represented the second-best result amongst collegiate boats in the race.
“I thought we had a very good race,” stated Irish head coach Martin Stone. “We got caught up in slower traffic going into the last bridge and had to stop for a few seconds, but I thought we responded to that well and I’m very proud of our effort.”
The Head of the Charles is an extremely reputable race worldwide, as it is the second largest two-day regatta in the world, with more than 8,900 athletes rowing in around 1,750 boats in 56 events. The competitive field includes individual and team competitors from colleges, high schools and clubs from nearly all American states and various countries with the championship races representing the most prestigious races at the event.
The Irish boat, comprised of coxswain Abby Meyers, along with Molly Bruggeman at stroke, Olivia Kacsits at the third seat, Erin McConnell at the second seat and Courtney Gaberino at bow concluded the race in a time of 18:40.01 to secure the fifth-place result by more than 11 seconds over Yale, who crossed in 18:51.45.
The Vesper Boat Club captured the race victory after crossing in 18:21.85, while the University of Virginia represented the lone collegiate boat to beat the Irish, crossing at 18:34.40 for second place. The Brock University Rowing Club (18:38.51) and the Don Rowing Club (18:38.76) finished in third and fourth, respectively.
The Irish varsity four and the remainder of the Irish boats return to action November 6 when they head to Indianapolis, Ind., for races against the Indiana Hoosiers.
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