MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College women's rowing team opened the 2012 season by hosting North Park University, the University of Dayton and Duquesne University Saturday (March 24) on the Muskingum River. [Results]

The Pioneers won the morning heats against North Park in both the varsity 8+ and the second varsity 8+ to advance to the Grand Finals in both races.

In the varsity 8+ heat, Marietta crossed the line in 5:58.76 to easily defeat North Park who finished in 6:17.43. It was a similar scenario in the second varsity 8+ heat as the Pioneers posted a time of 6:21.25 well ahead of the 7:00.04 from North Park.

Marietta, which sat coxswain Megan Oxley (Clarksburg, N.J./Allentown), stroke Bridget Dean (Rochester, Minn./Mayo), Trisha Wendel (Chagrin Falls/Kenston), Kelli Barnette (Parkersburg, W.Va./South), April Pendergrass (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson), Ricci Davis (Marietta/Marietta), Hailey Ellis (New Albany/New Albany), Abigail Klicker (Avalon Borough, Pa./Northgate), and bow Alyse McNeill (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area), finished second in the varsity 8+ Grand Final to Dayton. The Flyers finished with a time of 5:56.12, while the Pioneers crossed in 6:03.89.

Dayton downed Marietta in the second varsity 8+ Grand Final as well. The Pioneers, featuring coxswain Laura Sterzinger (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic), stroke Taryn Wilson (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), Alycia Kime (Sicklerville, N.J./Winslow Township), Kelly Moses (Lyndhurst/Brush), Stephanie Meinert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel Area), Erika Gill (Copley/Copley), Shannon Johnston (Arlington, Va./Yorktown), Katherine Tedesco (Upper Arlington/Upper Arlington), and bow Hannah Platt (Potomac, Md./Walt Whitman), completed the 2,000-meter course in 6:22.93. The Flyers won with a time of 6:12.11.

Dayton completed the sweep by winning the varsity 4+ race that included crews from Marietta and Duquesne as well. Dayton posted a 6:55.41 for the win. The Pioneers were second (6:57.34) and Duquesne was third (6:57.88).

Marietta's varsity 4+ lineup consisted of coxswain Liz Luckenbaugh (Akron/Our Lady of the Elms), stroke Christina Beltran-Revilla (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel Area), Regina Collette (Columbus/Metro), Anja Curwen (Carlisle Pa./St. Bouaventure), and bow Penelope Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Winchester Thurston).

Marietta is back in action next Saturday (March 31) and Sunday (April 1) in New York when they take on Ithaca, William Smith and the Rochester Institute of Technology.