Oct. 9, 2006
Rockford, Ill. – The Irish rowing team opened up the fall portion of its 2006-07 schedule Sunday, October 8 at the 21st annual Head of the Rock Regatta in Rockford, Ill. Results of the races were officially posted late Sunday evening. Notre Dame had a strong showing at the event for the second consecutive year, finishing 1-2 in the collegiate four race and having three boats finish in the top 10 of the collegiate eight race. In addition, the Irish had two boats amont the top eight finishers of the novice collegiate eight race.
Notre Dame’s fours were impressive with its two crews taking first and second in the race. The boat of coxswain Sarah Keithley, Meghan Boyle, Amanda Polk, Julie Sobolewski and Kendra Short finished first with a time of 18:35.40, while the crew of coxswain Kelsey Otero, Brittney Kelly, Elli Greybar, Anni Nowhitney and Tori Parsons was clocked in 18:44.99, 31 seconds ahead of Washington University’s third-place boat.
The featured race of the afternoon was the women’s collegiate eight which featured 24 entries. Notre Dame had entries in the event with three of them earning top-10 finishes. The Notre Dame A boat of coxswain Maria Romano, Meghan Boyle, Amanda Polk, Allison Marsh, Laura Pearson, Mary Quinn, Danielle Leary, Ankica Jedry and Lauren Buck finished fourth in 16:57.27, while the Irish Bo crew of coxswain Eileen Froehlke, Alyssa Close, Jessica Guzik, Brittney Kelly, Elli Greybar, Anni Nowhitney, Lindsay McQuaid, Chrisine Trezza and Tori Parsons were seventh in 17:07.87. The Notre Dame C boat of coxswain Christine Padayhag, Ashley St. Pierre, Shannon Cassel, Mary McNamara, Brittany Burnham, Casey Fairbanks, Ariel Klingaman, Kaitlin Jackson and Bridget Leone finished 10th in 17:41.14.
The Notre Dame E boat of coxswain Stephanie Szegedi, Kelly Nestor, Emily Backer, Melissa Miller, Kathleen Donahue, Mary Motto, Colleen Harren, Dana Gates and Andrea Archer finished 17th in 19:30.96, while Irish D crew of Kelsey Young, Alicia Quiros, Katherine McMackin, Casey Robinson, Rachel Plassmeyer, Casey Sulllivan, Lauren Cook, Elise Janowak and Lisa Bunn placed 19th in 20:02.45.
The Irish novice eight A boat of coxswain Davina Passeri, Kelly Nestor, Emily Backer, Melissa Miller, Kathleen Donahue, Mary Motto, Colleen Harren, Dana Gates and Andrea Archer were fourth in 16-boat field in the time of 19:58.53. Wisconsin had two boats finish 1-2 in the race in 17:55.59 and 18:33.46, while Grand Valley State was third in 19:45.53. The Irish’s novice eight B boat of coxswain Katie DeMartini, Alicia Quiros, Katherine McMackin, Casey Robinson, Rachel Plassmeyer, Casey Sullivan, Elise Janowak, Laura Burdick and Lisa Bunn placed eighth with a time of 20:21.30.
“I was very pleased with how we raced and how well we competed in our first competition of the fall season,” head coach Martin Stone. “We know that we can make improvements, but for the first time out, I thought we had some good results.”