CHERRY HILL, New Jersey – Marist Women's Rowing, powered with two Grand Final victories from its Varsity 8+ and Second Varsity 8+ crews, won the 2019 MAAC Championship, its 11
th in program history, on Saturday afternoon at Cooper River Park. The program will advance to its second-ever NCAA Championship.
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The Red Foxes earned 53 points on the day, dethroning five-time defending champion Jacksonville in the process. All three boats (V8+, 2V8+ and Varsity 4+) won and had the fastest times in their heats. On the day, Marist won five of its six total races.
After the regatta, the conference announced that Head Coach and Director of Rowing
Tom Sanford was selected as the MAAC Coach of the Year. Six Red Foxes also garnered MAAC postseason awards.
- The day's events had to be moved up 20 minutes, as strong gusts swirled in the area.
- Winds reached as high as 18 miles per hour.
- Despite that, sunshine and very few clouds draped the sky throughout the day as temperatures climbed into the 80s by the afternoon.
- The V4+, entering as the second seed, won its heat in wire-to-wire and advanced to the Grand Final with the fastest time, recording an 8:25.102 result. Marist placed ahead of Fairfield, Robert Morris, and Stetson in the second heat of the day.
- Marist's 2V8+ held off Robert Morris with a strong push in the final 1,000 meters to nab first and a spot in the Grand Final. The crew tallied the only sub-7:30.00 time across both heats at 7:27.923
- As for the V8+, the Red Foxes captured first place in the opening heat with a time of 7:05.397. Marist beat out Stetson, Drake, Manhattan, and Sacred Heart in the heat.
- Racing in lane four, the V4+ got off to a delayed start, as howling winds tilted boats out of position off the start.
- The crew, consisting of Kathryn Moody, Sara Barker, Elizabeth Colby, Morgan Zuch, and Kaela Brunetti, placed second in a time of 8:01.261 to earn eight points.
- Jacksonville took first, though the Red Foxes gained ground in the final 1,000 meters, narrowly falling by one length.
- The 2V8+, with a crew of Isabelle Koch, Shawna Gilson, Lydia Giguere, Kate Beebe, Abbey Gragg, McKenna Klineyoung, Maddy Gragg, Kassandra Nicholson, and Jasmine Miller, won the Grand Final in a time of 7:08.267, giving Marist 18 points for the race and a one-point lead over Jacksonville at the time.
- Marist blitzed out of the gate with a five-seat advantage over Jacksonville in the opening 500 meters, maintaining the pace towards the halfway point.
- In the final 500 meters, the Red Foxes did not let up, crossing the finish line with open water behind them.
- The crew of Caitlin Green, Bernadette Winby, Elisabeth Kamm, Clodagh Deasy, Sydney Ford, Selena Mildon, Kerriann Ernenwein, Marie Ryden, and Eliza Hartford handily took home the gold, racing in 6:47.529.
- Marist and Jacksonville battled in the opening of the race, with only a one to two-seat lead in favor of the Red Foxes.
- Marist raised the pressure from 500-1,500 meters, increasing its advantage from five seats to open water.
- This is Marist's first MAAC Championship and NCAA automatic qualifier since 2013. The Red Foxes had finished second in the MAAC in the five previous regattas.
- Marist has earned at least 50 points in three of the last four MAAC Championship regattas.
- Since the MAAC began sponsoring a championship 1997, the Red Foxes have never finished below third, and have not finished lower than second since 2000.
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- Marist will learn its seeding in the 2019 NCAA Women's Rowing selection show on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:00 p.m.
- The NCAA Championship takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2.
