Marietta women take second at Mid-Atlantic Division III Regional Championship
Freshmen/Novice 4+ takes gold and Varsity 8+ wins bronze

April 26, 2008
LEWISBERRY, Pa. — Marietta College women’s crew continued its stellar season on the water with its performance at the Mid-Atlantic Division III Regional Championship, which was raced Saturday (April 26) afternoon at Gifford Pinchot State Park. The Pioneer women not only continued their streak of making every Grand Final but also placed both boats in the top three. Marietta’s Freshmen/Novice 4+ claimed its second gold medal of the season, while the Varsity 8+ took bronze. Overall, Washington won the team title while Marietta was second and Mary Washington third.

The Freshmen/Novice 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), cruised to a 18-second victory in its event, a final-only race. The Pioneers crossed the 2,000m line in 7:28.6. North Park (7:46.5), Mary Washington “A” (7:51.2), Mary Washington “B” (8:08.2), Rutgers Camden (8:15.2) and Johns Hopkins (8:20.2) all trailed Marietta to the finish.

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) began the day with a five-boat heat in which they took second to No. 15 Mary Washington. The Pioneers finished in 6:45.1, while the Eagles finished in 6:44.0. Mary Washington’s Second Varsity 8+ (6:47.3), Bryn Mawr (6:49.0) and Johns Hopkins (6:49.1) finished third through fifth. In the Grand Final, No. 14 Washington held off both Mary Washington and Marietta to win the gold medal, while Franklin & Marshall was a distant fourth. Times for the race were deemed inaccurate but had Washington finishing in 6:45.6, Mary Washington in 6:52.1, Marietta in 6:56.3 and Franklin & Marshall in 7:07.5. According to the coaches of each school, the splits between first and third place were much closer.

Marietta is off next week and will await word on an invitation to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship, which take place on May 10-11 in Worcester, Mass.