Oct. 5, 2002
Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Notre Dame rowing team won two races, including the open four, while the open eight was fourth today at the 2002 Head of the Ohio. Both the club four and the varsity four were victorious today, while the Irish took third through sixth places in the pairs race.
The club four team of coxswain Kathryn Long, Casey Buckstaff, Meghan Boyle, Katie Chenoweth and Meredith Thornburgh were first, while the second club four team of coxswain Rebecca Campbell, Katie O’Hara, Kristen Henkel, Antoinette Duck and Megan Sanders were fourth.
In the varsity four race, the team of coxswain Caitlin Rackish, Shannon Mohan, Melissa Felker, Christine Donnolly and Sarah Palandech also won its race.
Notre Dame claimed places three through six in the pairs race as Alice Bartek and Ann Marie Dillhoff were the top Irish finishers, followed by the duo of Kerry Murphy and Diane Price. Natalie Ladine and Ashlee Warren were fifth and Erica Drennen and Sarah Keefer were sixth.
In the open eight, the Irish A crew of coxswain Cassie Markstahler, Natalie Ladine, Ashlee Warren, Elizabeth Specht, Alice Bartek, Rachel Polinski, Erica Drennen, Kerri Murphy, and Kathleen Welsh finished fourth. Ohio State was first in 14:31, followed by Michigan State in 15:05, Boston University in 15:11 and Notre Dame in 15:05. The Irish B crew of (coxswain) Kathryn Long, Kati Sedun, Dillhoff, Buckstaff, Boyle, Price, Thornburgh, Chenoweth and Keefer was sixth.
The Irish crew of Maureen Gibbons (cox), Kristen Mizzi, Shannon Mohan, Felker, Donnolly, Danielle Stealy, Devon Hegeman, Sarah Palandech and Courtney Quinn placed second in the youth eight, while the youth four team of Gibbons (cox), Kristen Mizzi, Jenna Froberg, Danielle Stealy and Courtney Quinn was fourth.
Notre Dame finished in ninth place in the overall team race, counting only the women’s races.
“We raced well today and are please with the results,” head coach Martin Stone said.
“Now we know where we stand against some of the top competition in the nation.”
The Irish are next in action next Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Head of the Rock Regatta in Rockford, Ill.