2008 Marietta College women’s rowing preview
Pioneers looking to rebuild its tradition of success on the water

March 6, 2008
MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College women’s rowing, under the direction of first-year Head Coach Kelly Harris and assistant Chase Graham, hopes to lay the foundation for its future by reestablishing the principles that have made it successful throughout the program’s history. The team is dedicated to developing a healthy atmosphere for rowing, which promotes positive attitudes and a consistent work ethic.

Four seniors—Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler), Amee Epling (Parkersburg, W.Va.), Meg Foraker (New Lexington/Culver Academy) and Meredith Hay (Berwick, Maine/Marshwood)--will work with two juniors—Anjouli Dapice (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) and Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.)—and a pair of sophomores--Caitlin Piotrowski (Dublin/Dublin Jerome) and Lauren Talasnik (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest)—to help develop the team chemistry necessary for success on the water this spring.

Joining the eight upperclassmen will be 10 freshmen, eight of whom are novices. They are Miki Abitante (Columbia, Md./Atholton), Abigail Bogdan (Vienna, W.Va.), Emily Davis (Louisville, Ky./J. Graham Brown), Brooke Exley (Phoenixville, Pa.), Stockard Hyjek (Leetsdale, Pa./Quaker Valley), Yolien Peeters (Cranberry Twp, Pa./Seneca Valley), Megan Stuhlfauth (Hainesport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), Michelle Tarracciano (Williston, Vt./Champlain Valley Union), Katherine Thomas (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area) and Lauren Yanko (Akron/Archbishop Hoban). These student-athletes have showed a lot of progress despite their youthfulness.

Marietta enters its spring season with a small disadvantage, as its freshmen were unable to compete at a race in the fall; the Head of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia, Pa., was cancelled due to weather. Therefore, the team is anxious to get on the water and see how they perform under pressure against outside competition. The Pioneers, who have been on the water only twice this spring, will use a week of practice on Canal 54 in Palm Bay, Fla., to build team chemistry. Harris expects to approach 175-200 miles rowed at week’s end and for the team to learn a lot about its self.

“The first few days of practice will be geared toward technique, and then we will move to more intense sprint work and seat racing to help establish our fastest eight,” Harris said. “With 13 practices scheduled and a steep learning curve so far on land, it gives us great optimism that we will be able to transfer that success to the water and, as a result, realize that we can actually do more than we ever thought we could.”

Marietta will begin the year with a lineup that consists of a Varsity 8+ and a Freshmen 8+ and eventually transition into a Varsity 8+ and a Freshmen 4+. This will maximize the Pioneers’ experience on the water and help them see their potential early and then give the team its greatest chance for success down the stretch.

The Pioneers will open the season at the Mayor’s Cup in Tampa, Fla., on March 15. They will follow with two home competitions, the Marietta Invitational (March 29) and the Marietta/Purdue Challenge Cup (March 30). Marietta will then transition into its V8 and F4 for the Knecht Cup (April 12-13) in Camden Hill, N.J., and the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship (April 18-20) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Pioneers will look to peak at the Mid-Atlantic D-III Championship (April 26) in Lewisberry, Pa., and place high enough to qualify for the ECAC Championship (May 10-11) in Worcester, Mass.