PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (4/5/10) - The Colgate women’s crew team competed at the Murphy Cup in Philadelphia, Pa., to open its 2010 spring season this past weekend. The Raiders entered two boats to compete, the Varsity 8 and a JV 8, featuring seven freshmen spread between the two boats.
The V8 boat finished second in their heat with a time of 6:40.77, to qualify for the final race for its first time ever since rowing in the Murphy Cup. The women finished fifth in the final with a time of 6:55.46, just 11 seconds behind the first-place finisher, fellow Patriot League squad, Bucknell. Patriot League foe Navy also raced in the event finishing third, but the Raiders’ boat was able to keep contact with the Mids the whole way down the course. Seniors Vicky Hulit (Rye, N.Y.) and Lauren Schmetterling (Moorestown, N.J.) were joined by Annabelle Glass (Vancouver, B.C.), Shannon Jackson (Roswell, Ga.), Kalin Hennegan (Littleton, Colo.), Elspeth Monigle (Denver, Colo.), and Katherine Thomson (Vashon Island, Wash.) as rowers, with Jillian Anderson (East Walpole, Mass.) at coxswain.
The women’s JV8 boat placed third in the second of three heats with a time of 6:55.06. Rowing for Colgate were Gabby Cambanis (Athens, Greece), Laura Crawford (Allentown, N.J.), Lauren Davis (Thornhill, Ont.), Louisa Jelaco (Seattle, Wash.), Katherine Johnescu (York, Pa.), Kirsten Kellstrom (Chatham, N.J.), Larissa Pauli (Southampton, N.Y.) and Katherine Rice (Canton, Ohio) while freshman Stephanie Hamilton (Newton, Mass.) sat at coxswain.
“I think the second boat showed some spark in the beginning of the race but faded keeping them from the final,” noted head coach Greg Krucyznski. “I know they are disappointed but hopefully they will use this to motivate themselves for next weekend.”
Up next, the women will compete at the Knecht Cup April 10-11 in Camden, N.J. “We’re really looking forward to the Knecht Cup, where we will be breaking boats down into fours as well as eights,” stated Krucyznski.