No. 15 Marietta women place fourth at Knecht Cup
Pioneers' Varsity Four comes in seventh

Apr. 9, 2006
CHERRY HILL, N.J. — The Marietta College women's rowing program got its first chance to go head-to-head with Division III competition Saturday and Sunday (Apr. 8-9) at the Knecht Cup, which was raced on the Copper River.

The Pioneers sent two boats to the competition, their No. 14 Varsity Eight boat and a Varsity Four shell. The weather played a major factor on both days of racing. It forced schedule alterations and even the cancellation of some races.

Marietta's Varsity Eight, which sat from bow Anjouli Dapice, Meg Foraker, Krista Tkacz, Amanda Chuderewicz, Kim Becker, Laurel Lindamood, Sotiria Anagnostu, stroke Lindsey Letterle and coxswain Shauna Payne, took to the water for Saturday's heat against Mary Washington (Va.), Johns Hopkins (Md.), Rutgers-Camden (N.J.) and the College of New Jersey.

The Pioneers were able to advance to Sunday's finals by taking second place behind Mary Washington in the second heat of the day. No times were recorded in the race. Johns Hopkins also advanced out of the heat, setting up a final with No. 14 Washington (Mo.), Rochester (N.Y.) and Bryn Mawr (Pa.), the three qualifiers from heat one. All six of the finalist were either ranked or received votes in the latest USRowing poll.

In the finals, Washington (7:28.0) took the title, Rochester (7:31.9) was second and Mary Washington (7:38.1) placed third. Marietta (7:49.0) came in fourth, while Bryn Mawr (7:54.0) and Johns Hopkins (8:06.0) rounded out the finishers.

Marietta's Varsity Four shell, which featured stroke Meredith Hay, Kristin Rediger, Sarah Henry, Caroline McNulty and coxswain Saira Khan, competed against Washington, Mary Washington, Susquehanna (Pa.) and N.Y. Maritime in its heat Saturday morning. The Pioneers (9:16.6) finished third in its heat and seventh overall. Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) ended up winning the final with a time of 8:29.5.

The Pioneers will have a week off before returning to action on April 22 at the Atlantic Collegiate League Sprints in Rossville, Pa.