SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Smith College rowing team put together a strong showing on Saturday at the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships, competing against regional powers in their final tune-up before the NEWMAC Championships.
The 1V8+ opened the day with a third-place finish in its heat, clocking in at 7:43.72 behind Syracuse and William Smith and ahead of Vassar and RIT. The crew returned in the afternoon to secure second in the petite final with a time of 7:18.22, finishing just behind Canisius. "Today the team took big steps on the race course in Saratoga," said captain Greta Stekl (Amherst, MA/Amherst Regional). "We tapped into energy and grit. There is so much more speed in this team and we are ready to unlock and unleash it at the course at NEWMACs."
The 2V8+ turned in a pair of strong performances, taking second in its heat (7:59.19) before placing third in the Grand Final with a time of 7:25.66, trailing only Marist and Bates. "The 2V8+ Grand Final was EPIC!" said Jackie Wiechmann (Washington DC/Jackson-Reed). "We've really found each other over the last few weeks, and today's race proved that to us once again. We're so hyped up for NEWMACs!"
Racing in a final-only format due to weather shifts, the 3V8+ took second in 7:43.82 while the 4V8+ placed fourth with a time of 8:06.30. "The rainy showdown today let us know how much power we really have in the crew," said Gaby Ayala Becerra (Pasadena, CA/Archer School for Girls). "The gritty force and collected energy in the boat through the hard rain proves to us that we are ready to show everyone our peak speed on the NEWMAC stage."
"Today was a great opportunity for us to go head-to-head with crews we usually don't line up against," added 4V8+ coxswain Grant Roll (Pelham, NY/Pelham Memorial). "We had so much fun pushing ourselves, especially alongside another Smith boat. We are feeling more than ready for NEWMACs."
From the Coach:
"It was awesome to be back on the race course with the squad as we begin final preparations for the NEWMAC Championships," said Head Coach Clare Doyle. "Each crew took an important step forward today and knows what they need to do next week before racing at NEWMACs. We're looking forward to getting back to work at the boathouse.
Up Next
Smith Rowing returns to Lake Quinsigamond next weekend to defend their 2024 NEWMAC title.
About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a 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, and Instagram.
