The Mustangs’ second varsity eight-boat team defeated the University of Alabama by a three-second window in a four-day race on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
SMU was 1-0 in duals after defeating Creighton in four of the five races on March 8 in Dallas. Standing 1-0 in duals after the first race of the season, SMU fell to 1-1 after winning only one of the four races against Alabama.
The varsity boat eight hit the water with all but one of last season’s rowers. Included on the roster are five returning seniors, six returning juniors and seven returning sophomores between the four racing teams. The team also welcomed 13 freshmen to the 2007-08 roster.
Comprised of coxswain Emily St. John, Kelly McKinley, Lauren Doucet, Danielle Nehf, Chantal Bohren, Ashley Luther, Caroline Merideth, Janice Merideth and Caitlin Ludwig, the second varsity eight boat team clocked in at 7:24:1, nearly four seconds ahead of the Crimson Tide. Alabama clocked in at 7:27.7.
St. John coxed second varsity eight, varsity four and novice four last season, and won first place in novice four at the Head of the Colorado as a freshman.
Head coach Doug Wright expressed his excitement about the second varsity team’s success in a press release following Saturday’s race. Wright exclaimed how proud he was of the team’s overall execution and smart race, and its ability to pull everything together in the early morning.
The first varsity eight race came down to the wire with the Tide pulling across the finish line just five seconds ahead of SMU. The Mustangs finished at 7:03.5, while Alabama sped ahead at 6:58.6.
Led by coxswain Elizabeth Hagerty, the V8 team included Meredith Walte, Krystal Kulka, Alexa Tuszynski, Alex Austin, Katelyn Verner, Ellen Cieszkiewicz, Amanda DeGroff and Julie Pollard.
SMU’s novice eight team of Nicolle Keogh, Lauren Hadaway, Hanna Hansing, Torre Kean, Rebekah James, Alex Hazelton, Sofia Davydova, Lindsay Graff and coxswain Ali Smith rowed in at 7:58.8, nearly 40 seconds behind the Tide. Alabama finished at 7:17.9.
The Mustangs came in third in the varsity novice four race between three competing Alabama teams. In the first race of the morning, Bianca Medici, Hansing, Kean and Keogh took off, led by Emily Van Volkinburg, to finish with a final time of 8:53.9. The Crimson tied clocked in at first and second place with 8:21.9 and 8:25.6, respectively. Alabama also had a team finish fourth at 8:37.2.
Van Volkinburg is in her second year at SMU, and coxed the novice eight and novice four in the 2006-07 season.
The Mustangs rowing team will compete again on April 5 against the University of Texas in Austin.
