ResultsPHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Navy blue and white are Marietta College's official school colors, but gold looks pretty good too. Especially when it can be found hanging around the necks of the Pioneers' Dad Vail Champion women's varsity 8+ crew.
"I am so proud of how the entire team performed today," said Pioneer head coach
Brad Hemmerly. "We have been talking all year about the importance of being a true team player and that everyone is important to the team accomplishing our goals. This was tested in a big way before our final today and everyone raced extremely well."
The Pioneer women's rowing team competed in the 76th annual Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta Friday and Saturday (May 9-10) on the 2,000-meter Schuylkill River course. Marietta entered two shells in the Division III women's heavyweight 8+ event and advanced both crews into Saturday's Grand Final.
After a lengthy delay in racing due to thunderstorms, Marietta's two shells rowed side by side in lanes two and three in what turned out to be a three-boat race for gold.
Marietta's 1V shell crossed the line in 6:42.539, ahead of runner-up Rochester (6:49.743) and the Pioneers' 2V shell (6:57.321). Finishing a distant fourth was Rochester Tech (7:14.814) followed by Rochester's second shell (7:18.582).
"Never in my life have I been more proud of my team then I was today," senior
Ricci Davis (Marietta/Marietta) said. "I have watched some of these women turn into the most amazing rowers. Both boats could not have made it on the podium without our amazing coaches."
On the strength of the Pioneer women, Marietta College placed tenth in the overall points standings, while the women tied for fourth in the women's point standings. The Pioneers will find out Monday evening if they receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Championship. The selection show can be watched live online at
http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2014/05/12.
Making Marietta's performance even more impressive is the fact the coach Hemmerly was forced to make lineup changes in both shells on Saturday due to an injury suffered by
Erika Gill (Copley/Copley) in the 1V boat.
Katherine Tedesco (Upper Arlington/Upper Arlington) replaced Gill in the bow of the 1V shell. Marietta's lineup for the Grand Final included coxswain
Sydney Maltese (Canton/Central Catholic), stroke
Isabella Hildebrandt (Lakewood/Rocky River), Davis,
Katie Williams (Mars, Pa./Mars),
Eileen Walsh (Cherry Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace),
April Pendergrass (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson),
Anja Curwen (Carlisle Pa./St. Bouaventure),
Katie Transue (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) and Tedesco in the bow.
After the lineup change pulled Tedesco out of the 2V shell, Marietta's lineup in that boat featured coxswain
Hannah Platt (Potomac, Md./Walt Whitman),
Stephanie Meinert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel Area) in the stroke seat,
Marissa Jeswald (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Park School of Buffalo),
Alycia Kime (Sicklerville, N.J./Winslow Township),
Shelbi Westfield (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic),
Annie Jennings (Columbus/Upper Arlington),
Payton Wright (Coshocton/River View),
Rachael Schleich (Grandview Heights/Grandview Heights) and
Hannah Selzer (Copley/Copley) in the bow.
In Friday's heats, the 1V crew completely blew away the field finishing in 6:41.937, well ahead of Rochester Tech (7:07.418), Mary Washington (7:36.398), Mary Washington "B" (8:16.980) and Rochester Tech "B" (11:14.319) to advance directly into the Grand Final.
The 2V crew placed second in its heat and had to row in a repechage Friday afternoon. In the morning heat Rochester won in 6:47.068 followed by Marietta (6:49.677), Rochester "B" (7:15.717) and St. John Fisher (7:27.157).
Marietta won the repechage with open water on the field. The Pioneers crossed in 7:06.071 followed by Rochester Tech (7:12.725), Rochester (7:19.854), Mary Washington (7:32.149), St, John Fisher (7:33.325) and Mary Washington "B" (8:24.156).
"The future of Marietta rowing is extremely bright," Hemmerly said. "I am so proud to be able to lead this group this year and into the future."
