WOMEN’S VARSITY 8 EARNS

BOAT OF THE WEEK HONORS

Apr. 28: The St. Lawrence University Women’s Varsity 8 crew earned Liberty League Boat of the Week honors for the third time this season after winning the conference crown on Saturday on Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The No. 5 crew in the country won its fifth and sixth consecutive races and defeated No. 8 William Smith College by 0.4 seconds, coming in with a time of 7:31.3. The win gave St. Lawrence their first ever Liberty League title. The boat was powered by junior Michelle Hicks (Austin, TX/St. Stephen’s), sophomore Jane Connolly (New Canaan, CT/St. Luke’s), first-year Lizzy Stokes-Cawley (Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles), junior Allie Friedman (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Seminary), sophomore Amelia Bell (Portland, OR/Grant), senior Kate Olsen (Muncy, PA/Muncy), sophomore Eloise LaChance (Philmont, NY/Taconic Hills), senior Amanda Dudley (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), and senior coxswain Renee Rubin (South Burlington, VT/South Burlington).

St. Lawrence will hope to continue their perfect season at the New York State Championships next Saturday, May 3, in Whitney Point, NY.

VARSITY EIGHT, TEAM CROWNED LIBERTY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Apr. 26: The St. Lawrence women’s crew team etched their names into the University’s history books on Saturday afternoon as the Saints were crowned the 2008 Liberty League Champions for the first time in the program's history following the Scarlet and Brown’s first place finish in the Women’s Varsity 8 race, edging the reigning conference champion, William Smith College, en route to the title.

The Saints’ boat defeated both Hamilton and Union in the first of two heats in the Women’s Varsity 8 event, coming in with a time of 7:21.93, well ahead of the Continentals (7:35.43) and the Dutchwomen (8:05.65). The Herons defeated Skidmore and Vassar in the second heat to earn the chance of taking on St. Lawrence in the Grand Final.

A highly-anticipated race ensued as the No. 5 and No. 8 crews in the country took to the course with Skidmore and Hamilton also in the Grand Final. The Saints and Herons battled for the full 2,000 meters before the Scarlet and Brown crossed just ahead of William Smith to earn their sixth consecutive victory of the year.

Saints in the first varsity 8 included junior Michelle Hicks (Austin, TX/St. Stephen’s), sophomore Jane Connolly (New Canaan, CT/St. Luke’s), first-year Lizzy Stokes-Cawley (Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles), junior Allie Friedman (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Seminary), sophomore Amelia Bell (Portland, OR/Grant), senior Kate Olsen (Muncy, PA/Muncy), sophomore Eloise LaChance (Philmont, NY/Taconic Hills), senior Amanda Dudley (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), and senior coxswain Renee Rubin (South Burlington, VT/South Burlington).

The Women’s Novice 4 was the first race of the championships, and the Saints found themselves well-represented by first-years Erin Panek (Natick, MA/Natick), Catie LePage, Britne Tyler (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Seminary), Maggie Wiener (Baltimore, MD/Bryn Mawr School for Girls) and coxswain Lauren Reed (Cortland, NY/Cortland). The Saints earned a spot in the grand final after placing second in the first heat with a time of 8:59.53, six seconds behind William Smith’s “B” boat, which clocked in at 8:53.44. The Scarlet and Brown defeated both Vassar and Skidmore College, while the Heron’s “A” crew won the second heat with a time of 8:40.9, ahead of both second place Union, who also earned a place in the grand final, and third place Hamilton. In the grand final, the Saints finished fourth behind two William Smith squads and Union’s boat.

The Women’s Second Varsity 8 placed third out of four crews with a time of 8:30.27, behind first place Hamilton (8:23.9) and second place William Smith (8:27.5), while crossing the finish line ahead of Skidmore, who came in at 8:38.55.

Racing in the second varsity boat was sophomore Katie Roy (Lake Placid, NY/Northwood School), senior Ann Seyse (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville), sophomore Tara Hetz (Charlotte, VT/Champlain Valley Union), junior Karen Wilcox (Ellenburg Depot, NY/Northern Adirondack), sophomore Erin Hussey (Biddeford, ME/Biddeford), junior Jackie Costas (Greenwich, CT/Convent of the Sacred Heart) sophomores Brianna Kehl (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) and Amelia Lalley (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca) and senior coxswain Caroline Hannigan (New Rochelle, NY/School of the Holy Child).

St. Lawrence will hope to continue their perfect season at the New York State Championships next Saturday, May 3, in Whitney Point, NY.