Oct. 19, 2014
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A strong showing by its entry in the women’s championship four on day two of the 50th Head of the Charles Regatta on Sunday was a weekend highlight for the University of Notre Dame women’s rowing team. The Irish championship four boat raced to a ninth place finish to earn the top placement by a Notre Dame crew during the regatta’s final day on the Charles River.
The Notre Dame four lineup of coxswain Jill Ryan, Rose Doerfler, Katie Skorcz, Treasa O’Tighearnaigh and Ellen Gleadow posted a final time of 19:09.60 on its way to ninth place, earning a top 10 in the event for the second consecutive year. The Irish time slashed more than 12 seconds off last year’s team readout of 19:22.544 at the Head of the Charles, and was just under four seconds behind seventh place Navy (19:05.84) and the eighth place Don Rowing Club (19:06.33).
USrowing swept the top two spots in the championship four heat for the second straight year, with the ‘A’ crew crossing the finish line in a winning 17:29.17. The USrowing ‘B’ lineup clocked a final time of 18:01.14 to claim event runner-up honors. Syracuse was the top collegiate crew in the final results, outpointing Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia (18:31.52) for third place in 18:29.98.
In women’s championship eight racing, the Notre Dame ‘A’ entry placed in the upper half of the 34-boat field, crossing the finish line in 16th place. Coxswain Mikaela Prego, Carlee Beckler, Sarah Kappers, Alexis Olson, Elizabeth Kelley, Anna Kottkamp, Ailish Sheehan, Hilary Shinnick and Joanna Mulvey logged a time of 17:18.70 during the heat. The Irish ‘B’ lineup of first-time Head of the Charles competitors coxswain Reilly Kearney, Madelynn Conlin, Catherine Wagner, Elizabeth Gilbert, Moira Hamilton, Bailey Amenabar, Emily Horton, Madeline Loper and Gretchen Bruggeman clocked in at 17:57.50 for 27th place.
The Cambridge Boat Club took advantage of strong splits in the second half of the race to win the event with a final team time of 15:44.79. The reigning world champion USrowing eight crew, which featured multiple-time Notre Dame All-Americans Amanda Polk (’08) and Molly Bruggeman (’14), crossed the line in second place at 16:04.64. Virginia posted the best collegiate result with a third place time of 16:18.60.
50th Head of the Charles Regatta
Charles River
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Notre Dame Results
Women’s Championship Four
9. Jill Ryan (C), Rose Doerfler, Katie Skorcz, Treasa O’Tighearnaigh, Ellen Gleadow – 19:09.60
Women’s Championship Eight
16. Entry One – Mikaela Prego (C), Carlee Beckler, Sarah Kappers, Alexis Olson, Elizabeth Kelley, Anna Kottkamp, Ailish Sheehan, Hilary Shinnick, Joanna Mulvey – 17:18.70
27. Entry Two – Reilly Kearney (C), Madelynn Conlin, Catherine Wagner, Elizabeth Gilbert, Moira Hamilton, Bailey Amenabar, Emily Horton, Madeline Loper, Gretchen Bruggeman – 17:57.50