May 14, 2011

PHILADELPHIA - Four Marist boats - the women's varsity eight, the women's second varsity eight, the men's varsity eight and the men's freshman eight - have qualified for Saturday's semifinals of the Dad Vail Regatta, based on Friday's results.

The women's varsity eight began its day by placing third in its heat behind Grand Valley and Bucknell with a time of 7:04.05. The top two automatically qualified for the semifinals, and the Red Foxes next competed in the repechage against Delaware, Loyola, Vermont and Army. Needing a top-two finish to reach the semis, Marist took second behind only Delaware to advance. The Marist women's varsity eight is one of just 18 varsity eights remaining in competition from the original 34 that started, and is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference that still has its women's varsity eight competing in the regatta.

The women's second varsity eight reached the semifinals on the strength of a third-place finish in a time of 7:15.97 in a heat which had the top four advance. Also needing to finish in the top four to reach the semifinals, the women's freshman eight narrowly missed by placing fourth in its heat, as the Red Foxes trailed third-place Army by just .44 seconds.

On the men's side, the varsity eight reached the semifinals on the strength of a second-place heat finish in which the Red Foxes' time of 6:07.20 trailed only Temple. Marist needed a top-two finish to head straight to the semis, and came in 20.2 seconds ahead of third-place George Mason. The freshman eight also is headed to the semifinals after placing third in its heat in a time of 6:34.84, as the Red Foxes trailed just Delaware and Boston College. The second varsity eight took sixth in its heat in 6:37.90, and did not advance.