Marist Women's Rowing traveled to the MAAC Championships in Cherry Hill, NJ on Sunday, competing with a 1st Varsity 8+, 2nd Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+, 2nd Varsity 4+, and 2nd Varsity 4+ B. The team embraced the championship atmosphere and the opportunity to race against conference opponents with MAAC titles on the line. Conditions on the water were fast with a slight cross-tail wind throughout racing. The championships capped off a strong regular season and showcased the depth, speed, and competitiveness of the entire team, with Marist earning a spot on the podium in every event and placing 2nd overall for the Team Points Trophy.
 

The 2nd Varsity 4+ event kicked off the day for the team. This event did not contribute to the team points total but gave our athletes invaluable MAAC Championship experience.

The 2nd Varsity 4+ consisted of coxswain Brooke Dini, Breanna Schwager, Grace Stoner, Sophia Warburton, and Gabrielle White. Finishing behind both Jacksonville crews, Marist was able to start the day off with a bronze medal.

"This race was the perfect end to the season! I'm so proud of my boat for trusting their training and pushing themselves to their full potential. They were able to walk through competition that had us off the start and hold on to the lead crews. They even closed the gap during the last 500 and pushed a strong sprint too. Even prior to the race these girls put their hearts into it with matching bracelets, shirts, and TikToks. I can't wait to get back to it in the fall!"

    - Coxswain Brooke Dini, Class of 2028

The 2nd Varsity 4+ B consisted of coxswain Lilia Thomas, Ashleigh Coyne, Ella Manion, Maddie Fracasso, and Stella McGinty. This crew put together a scrappy race, finishing 2nd among the 2V4+ B crews.

"We were all really excited to race this weekend and went out there and executed our race exactly how we planned! It felt really strong and the girls held their own and walked through in their sprint!"

    - Coxswain Lilia Thomas, Class of 2029

Results: JAX 7:50.070 JAX 3V4 7:54.643, MARIST 7:56.512, SHU 8:01.430, FAIRFIELD 3V4 8:29.275, MARIST 3V4 8:40.979, FAIRFIELD 8:51.295.
 

The Varsity 4+ consisted of coxswain Grace Foley, Katie Beichert, Charley Coward, Cali Tigar, and Maddie Lombardi. This crew got out in front off the start and never looked back! Putting together a complete race, Marist is the MAAC Champion in the Varsity 4 event!

"Our boat gave everything we had today and we really showed how much we have improved since the start of our season! We had our strongest start yet and stayed ahead of the other crews, pushing ourselves throughout the race to keep our lead. We're so proud of all we were able to accomplish and how far we have come! Next season starts now!"

    - Coxswain Grace Foley, Class of 2027

Results: MARIST 7:29.460, JAX 7:32.810, SHU 7:35.579, FAIRFIELD 7:45.554, STETSON 8:19.432, CANISIUS 8:38.761, MERRIMACK 9:05.903
 

The 2nd Varsity 8+ consisted of coxswain Carina Pascucci, Caitlin Bartman, Shelby McDougall, Lillian Iannaccone, Anna Iannucci, Gianna Angelucci, Jenna Jaffe, Elena Waldbillig, and Anna Coppola. This crew had an exciting race, which found them in 5th place early on, however, they were able to work their way through three crews and finish in a strong 2nd place position behind Jacksonville.

"I couldn't be more proud of our performance today. We made changes to our performance today. We made changes to our race plan within the last week to bring our rate up in our second middle move and begin our sprint earlier to make sure we kept the energy up throughout our piece and we executed perfectly. We all had so much fun, we've had a great season and ended it on a high note!"

    - Coxswain Carina Pascucci, Class of 2026

Results: JAX 6:48.493, MARIST 6:51.106, SHU 6:53.333, CANISIUS 7:03.820, STETSON 7:17.333, FAIRFIELD 7:22.149.
 

The 1st Varsity 8+ consisted of coxswain Ariana Novero, Amelia Nelson, Megan McGowan, Sophie Forster, Kora Eckelman, Natalie Ronan, Anna Fedders, Abby Deane, and Kaleigh Tompkins. This race was going to determine the MAAC Team Points Champions, and it certainly did not disappoint. It was a battle for the full 2000m, and 2nd place was decided with a photo finish between Sacred Heart and Marist.

"I am so proud of this boat and this team. The amount of work everyone has put in this season has been incredible, and it truly showed today. We popped off the line and battled all the way down the course with Sacred Heart. We raced our hearts out, and I couldn't be prouder of every single person in this boat."

    - Coxswain Ariana Novero, Class of 2026

Results: JAX 6:43.185, SHU 6:46.238, MARIST 6:46.347, FAIRFIELD 6:51.274, CANISIUS 7:02.201, STETSON 7:08.814, MERRIMACK 7:11.023
 

"Heading into the weekend the team was locked in and excited about racing for the championship. Each crew executed the race plan and left everything on the water. The 2V4s had strong races with the A boat earning a bronze medal. The V4 surprised everyone but us and won the gold medal over a very fast JU V4. Our 2V8 had a fantastic second half of the race and went from 5th to finishing 2nd. Finally, knowing it was going to be a 3-boat race to earn the NCAA bid, the V8 blasted off the line and held a small lead over JU and SHU early in the race. The middle half of the race saw JU move up and out to a half-length lead over Marist with SHU slowly working its way ack into contention. In the last 500, JU was able to move out to full length with Marist and SHU crossing the line within .1 seconds of each other with SHU getting the

better end of it. Although disappointed with not gaining the AQ to the NCAAs, the team is proud of the progress it's made over the last 4 years. Our senior class has brought us back into contention for a MAAC Championship with the team's highest finish since 2022. All in all, it was a fantastic morning of racing, and the Marist crews are holding their chins high."

    - Tom Sanford, Head Coach and Director of Rowing