Oct. 11, 1998

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Notre Dame’s newest varsity sport in 1998-99, women’s rowing, made its varsity debut at the Head of the Rock Regatta in Rockford, Ill. The Irish competed in four different races covering 2.75 miles.

Notre Dame’s Open Eight team of Jada Benn, Katie Fox, Elizabeth Wood, Quinn Vandenberg, Molly Kinder, Kristin Vandehey, Katy Murphy, Alison Bartsh and Melissa Alberding finished sixth out of 24 times with a time of 16:21. Notre Dame had two other boats in the race which finished 12th and 16th.

In the Women’s Open Four race, the team of Benn, Fox, Wood, Vandenberg and Murphy, placed third out of 24 teams with a time of 17:31. The other Irish boat placed 12th.

In the Lightweight Eight, Notre Dame took first out of four teams with a time of 16:57. In the victorious boat were: Erin Kiernicki, Lezlie Potter, Emily Miner, Kathryn Hammel, Jeannette McKenna, Sarah Nelson, Anne Cooper, Sandra Peterson and Katherine Miller.

The Irish had boats finish second and third in the Lightweight Four race. The second-place team of Kiernicki, Potter, Miner, Hammel and McKenna completed the course in 17:54.