By James Bedrock
Sports Editor
The Washington College Men’s and Women’s Rowing teams brought home the MARC Conference Championship over the weekend, the second for both teams in recent years. For the men, it was the second time in a row earning the title of back-to-back champions. For the women, it was their second in three years, as they remain a dominant force.
In a new scoring format, the team champion was decided by scoring the two Varsity eight races. The Shoremen won both, edging out Rutgers-Camden and Franklin & Marshall. The Shorewomen were runners-up in the first varsity eight, but came out on top in the second to give them the points for the win.
The Shoremen’s first varsity eight was made up by senior Coxswain Suzanne Vaughn, seniors Reno Smith, Michael Zaborskiy, junior Sean Harrison, sophomores Parker McIntosh and Robert Storck, freshmen Nick Stewart and Conor Howlett and graduate student Brandon Riker.
The second varsity eight featured sophomore Jeff Nutting as the Coxswain, senior Will Herland, juniors Brian Haluska and Miqdad Annab, sophomores Kyle Benk, Mitch Witherow and Lawrence Baker, and freshmen Blake Weishaar and Colin Mitchell.
Coached by John Leekley, who was named MARC Coach of the Year for the third year in a row, the Shoremen landed three members on the All-Conference team. Smith and Storck received varsity honors while Stewart received novice honors. The Shoremen will be competing in the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia on May 13 and 14.
The Shorewomen’s winning second varsity eight was coxswained by freshman Abigal Thomas and made up of seniors Caiti Ambrose and Robin Hesse, junior Diane Hagmann, sophomores Brittany Krueger and Rachel Benders, and freshmen Elizabeth Hilton, Carly Ogren and Emily Sahadeo.
The runners-up varsity eight was coxswained by junior Kelsie Jensen. Seniors Sarah Strickland, Catherine Black and Christine Lynch, juniors Kendall Mulligan and Jenna Moore, sophomores Kate Fiori and Lauren Halla and freshman Valeri DeLisi.
The Shorewomen also landed three members on the All-MARC team. Strickland and Mulligan earned varsity honors while DeLisi earned novice honors. The Shorewomen are awaiting to hear whether or not they will receive a team or an at-large eight bid to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championships.
May 6, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 25