OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Marietta College women's crew continued to build momentum in 2009 with a fourth place finish at the 42nd annual Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship, which was held Saturday (April 18) and Sunday (April 19) on Melton Hill Lake. [Results]

The Pioneers competed as the lone Division III representative in the 22-boat Club, Division II and Division III Varsity 8+ event, which featured heats and semifinal racing on Friday and then the Grand Final and Petite Final on Saturday.

Freshman stroke Kelli Barnette (Parkersburg, W.Va./South) (Parkersburg, W.Va./South), freshman Elizabeth Bratton (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Basil Academy) (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Basil Academy), senior Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area) (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area), junior Caitlin Piotrowski (Dublin/Dublin Jerome) (Dublin/Dublin Jerome), sophomore Katherine Thomas (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area) (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area), sophomore Megan Stuhlfauth (Hainsport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy) (Hainesport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), senior Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.) (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.), sophomore bow Miki Abitante (Columbia, Md./Atholton) (Columbia, Md./Atholton) and junior coxswain Lauren Talasnik (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest), who were seeded fifth, got off to a good start with a second place finish in Friday's fourth heat. Marietta's shell crossed the line in 7:16.98, just behind Texas, which finished in 7:16.40. Central Oklahoma also advanced out of the heat after placing third with a time of 7:20.23.

The Pioneers returned to the water in the first semifinal on Friday afternoon and crossed the line with a third place finish to advance to Saturday's Grand Final. In the semifinal, Marietta finished in 7:15.69. Top-seeded Mercyhurst won the race in 7:03.30, while third-seeded Nova Southeastern was second after covering the course in 7:11.39.

The top three finishers in Saturday's Grand Final went as seeded. Mercyhurst won the event with a time of 7:08.9. Second-seeded Grand Valley State finished runner-up with a time of 7:14.2, while Nova Southeastern placed third with a time of 7:24.0. Marietta followed quickly behind in fourth after crossing the line in 7:25.8. Ohio State was fourth, while Tulane placed fifth.

Marietta is back in action on Saturday (April 25) when its competes in the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference (MARC) Championship at Gifford Pinchot State Park in York County, Pa.