Marietta's Freshmen/Novice 8+ rows at weather-shortened ECAC Championship
Pioneers take advantage of proximity to Dad Vails to compete at another event this season

May 10, 2009
CAMDEN, N.J. — The Marietta College men's crew hoped to take advantage of its weekend location and extend the season one more day by racing two Freshmen/Novice 8+ shells at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) National Invitational Rowing Championship Sunday (May 10) on the Cooper River. The Pioneers' F/N 8+, which won a bronze medal at the 2009 Dad Vail Championship on Saturday (May 9), managed to row a preliminary heat before officials canceled the rest of the championship due to extremely high wind conditions. [Results]

Marietta’s Freshmen/Novice 8+, which featured stroke Patrick Cleveland (New Canaan, Conn.), Jim Furl (Marietta), Ethan Shoemaker (Westerville/North), Ben Charley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Winchester Thurston), Richie Fredericks (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City), Brian Timlin (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley), Drew Schulte (Parma/St. Ignatius), bow Matt Newsome (Petersburg, N.J./Ocean City) and coxswain Sam Ellis (West Grove, Pa./St. Mark’s), got an opportunity to avenge an eight-second loss to Dad Vail Champion Michigan when both crews raced in the third heat on Sunday. The Pioneers were able to close the gap, but the Wolverines held on for the narrow victory. Michigan crossed the line in 6:06.506, while Marietta followed in second with a time of 6:06.633. Hobart (6:28.483) took third, while Albany (6:37.916) was fourth. The Pioneers' second place finish sent them to Saturday afternoon's Grand Final.

Marietta's 2nd Freshmen/Novice 8+ was also scheduled to compete in a final only event but that, as well as the majority of the other races, was canceled after a long delay when the weather conditions did not improve.