Marietta's F/N 4+ places third at SIRA Championship
Pioneers' Varsity 8+ takes sixth on Melton Hill Lake

April 20, 2008
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — For the second straight week, the Marietta College women’s crew earned a bronze medal in the Freshmen/Novice 4+ and had its Varsity 8+ reach the Grand Final. The latest success came at the 41st Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship Saturday (April 19) and Sunday (April 20) afternoon on Melton Hill Lake.

The F/N 4+, which featured bow Miki Abitante (Columbia, Md./Atholton), Abigail Bogdan (Vienna, W.Va.), Megan Stuhlfauth (Hainesport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), stroke Yolien Peeters (Cranberry Twp, Pa./Seneca Valley) and coxswain Stockard Hyjek (Leetsdale, Pa./Quaker Valley), took second place in its opening heat on Saturday, finishing in 8:33.18, and behind Tulsa, who rowed a 8:15.80 race. The Pioneers then won their semifinal after crossing the line in 8:19.00 to advance to the Grand Final on Sunday. In the Grand Final, once again Tulsa (7:51.50) got the better of Marietta (8:12.31), as did second place Emory (8:05.60). The Pioneers however earned a bronze medal just as they did last week at the Knecht Cup.

In the Varsity 8+, senior bow Meg Foraker (New Lexington/Culver Academy), senior Amee Epling (Parkersburg, W.Va.), freshman Lauren Yanko (Akron/Archbishop Hoban), sophomore Caitlin Piotrowski (Dublin/Dublin Jerome), freshman Katherine Thomas (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area), junior Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.), senior Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler), junior stroke Anjouli Dapice (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) and sophomore coxswain Lauren Talasnik (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) used a pair of third place finishes to advance to Sunday’s Grand Final. Marietta (7:35.27) finished behind Michigan State (7:29.10) and Barry (7:31.17) in its opening heat and then the squad (6:49.57) came in after Philadelphia (6:42.60) and Ohio State (6:48.57) in the semifinals. Ohio State (7:09.40) went on to win the Grand Final, while Philadelphia (7:10.40), Nova S.E. (7:18.30), Barry (7:21.10), Washington (7:26.80), and Marietta (7:29.00) rounded out the finishers in the race.

The Pioneers are back in action on Saturday (April 26) morning when they compete at the Mid-Atlantic Division III Championship, which will take place in Lewisberry, Pa.