April 6, 2003
Iowa City, Iowa – The Notre Dame rowing team, ranked 21st in the nation, won four of five events today in taking on No. 15 Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Due to poor weather conditions, the race format was changed to two pieces of 1,000 meters rather than the traditional single 2,000-meter race.
The Irish second varsity eight of Kathryn Long (cox), Shannon Mohan (stroke), Kerri Murphy, Kathleen Welsh, Meredith Thornburgh, Kati Sedun, Devon Hegeman, Katie Chenoweth and Melissa Felker won both pieces of its race taking the first heat in 3:32.40. Iowa crossed the line in 3:34.30. In the second piece, Notre Dame was first in 3:33.7, followed by the Hawkeyes in 3:35.16.
In the first varsity eight, Iowa swept both races winning the first race by over four seconds and the second piece by almost five seconds. The Irish crew of Cassie Markstahler (cox), Erica Drennen (stroke), Natalie Ladine, Alice Bartek, Meghan Boyle, Casey Buckstaff, Rachel Polinski, Ashlee Warren and Danielle Protasewich crossed the line in 3:26.65 in the first piece, while Iowa was first in 3:22.16. In the second piece, Iowa finished in 3:28.42, while the Irish posted a time of 3:33.30.
Notre Dame swept the varsity four races as the crew of Kacy McCaffrey (cox), Katie McCalden (stroke), Christy Donnelly, Katie O’Hara and Andrea Amoni won the first piece by over eight seconds posting a time of 4:03.60, compared to Iowa’s 4:11.40. The second piece was much closer as the Irish edged out the Hawkeyes by less than a minute in 4:06.28. Iowa finished in 4:07.23.
The second varsity four crews only raced one piece as the Notre Dame “B” crew of Caitlin Rackish (cox), Kristen Mizzi (stroke), Sarah Keefer, Tricia David and Courtney Quinn was first in 4:15.0. Iowa was second in 4:21.0, while Notre Dame’s “A” crew of Maureen Gibbons (cox), Ann Mulligan (stroke), Jacqueline Hazen, Antionette Duck and Megan Sanders was third in 4:21.61.
The Irish also dominated the novice eight races as the “A” crew of Shannan Lettieri (cox), Pamela Jefson (stroke), Julie Lewis, Morgan Ertel, Danielle Stealy, Jenna Redgate, Catherine Schmidt, Andrea Doud and Sarah French was first in 3:47.01. Iowa was second in 3:52.91, while Notre Dame’s “B” crew of Nicole Barczak (cox), Meghan O’Neil (stroke), Megan Sheehan, Fallon Shields, Nikki Karis, Marcia Luttio, Katie Hanafin, Rachel Kemp and Laura Joyce was third in 4:16.60. In race two, Notre Dame A won in 3:50.60, followed by Iowa in 3:58.40 and Notre Dame B in 4:23.8.
Notre Dame is next in action both Saturday and Sunday next weekend as the Irish travel to East Lansing, Mich., to face ninth-ranked Michigan State on Saturday and then returns home to play host to Dayton Sunday on the St. Joseph River. Regatta time is 10:30 a.m.