WORCESTER, Mass. - The Smith College rowing team posted a third place finish at the 2019 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship hosted by Clark University. The Pioneers battled through cold and windy conditions Saturday morning on Lake Quinsigamond.

No. 1 WPI claimed victories in the V8+ and 2V8+ to claim the team's first conference title, earning the conference's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division III Rowing Championships. For the ninth consecutive season, Wellesley was awarded the Florence Jope Smith Points Cup which goes to the school with the highest number of points from the overall results at the NEWMAC Championship. Wellesley finished with 34 points, two ahead of WPI (32). Smith (24) was third, Mount Holyoke (10) and Clark (10) tied for fourth, while Coast Guard (8) was sixth and Simmons finished seventh.

WPI swept the major awards with Kinsey McNamara being named 2019 NEWMAC Rower of the Year and Madison Healey tabbed as the 2019 Coxswain of the Year. 

Joining the WPI duo on the NEWMAC All-Conference first team were teammates, Christine Hovermale, Eva Barinello as well as Katie Livington, Frances Dingivan and Rhiannon Mulligan of Wellesley and Rachel Clendenning (Chicago, Ill./Whitney M. Young Magnet) and Clara Slesar (Burlington, Vt./Lake Champlain Waldorf) of Smith. 

The NEWMAC All-Conference second team was made up of Simmons' Emily Niemi and Samantha Kelsey, Mount Holyoke's Liz Hazen and Hannah Leblanc, Clark's Halley Glier and Ella Scott, and Cali Nathanson (Newtown, Conn./Wooster School) from Smith.

The Engineers captured the varsity eight in a time of 6:52.04 with the Blue crossing the line in a time of 6:55.58. Smith took third (7:01.83), followed by Mount Holyoke, Clark, Simmons and Coast Guard.

It was a tight race in the second varsity eight, as WPI handed in a time of 7:13.28 compared to Wellesley's 7:13.41. Smith reached the finish line in a time of 7:26.64. Coast Guard took fourth in a time of 7:44/76 followed by Clark, Mount Holyoke, and Simmons.

Wellesley took the third varsity eight in a time of 7:35.99 followed by Smith who claimed a 7:44.10 finish. WPI ended up third in 8:05.35 followed by Simmons in 8:31.15.

UP NEXT
Smith will return to Lake Quinsigamond next weekend for the 2019 New England Rowing Championships on Saturday, May 4 at 8:00 a.m.

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is an NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.