Opening heats of SIRAs a success for Pioneer Navy
Three MC boats go to semifinals, while a fourth qualified for directly to Saturday's finals

Apr. 14, 2006
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Head Coach Chris Pucella got just what he wished for on day one of the 2006 Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship (SIRAs) at Melton Hill Lake, as all four of Marietta College's boats advanced out of their respective heats Friday (Apr. 14) afternoon.

"With all of the last-minute adjustments that we had to make, I am really proud of how all of the men competed today," Pucella said. "We are expecting to have another great day of racing on Saturday."

Illness forced coach Pucella to rearrange his lineups for the weekend. The changes resulted in the JV Eight boat being broken up into a Varsity Pair and a Varsity Four shell. MC also competed in the Freshmen/Novice Four and Varsity Eight.

The Varsity Pair, which included freshmen Mitch Paskawych and Austin McIntire, set the tone for the rest of the Pioneers' day by winning its heat by three boat lengths. It advanced directly to Saturday's final (12 p.m.) and had the second fastest time in all of the opening heats.

The Freshmen/Novice Four was next to race. The shell, which featured Craig Ripiski, Nick Brown, Joe Linke, Brian Casto and coxswain Lydia Easterling, crossed the line in third place in its heat and advanced to the semifinals (7:58 a.m.).

Marietta's newly formed Varsity Four, which included Steve Wynne, Brent Keuch, Justin Callahan, Devan Whitney and coxswain Sarah Kozusko, also advanced to the semifinals (9:58 a.m.) by placing second in its heat.

The Varsity Eight, which sat from bow Zach Stimart, Evan Tsourtsoulas, Chase Graham, John Carlon, Karl Biermann, Mike Ross, Eric Dowler, stroke Chuck Geyer and coxswain Tim Rinehart, also had a solid opening race. The shell, which carried the top seed in the field, won its opening heat and posted the fastest time of any prelim (6:11.2) to move on to the semifinals (11:08 a.m.).

A recap of the Saturday's racing will be posted once results are posted.