Lady Pioneers solid in sweep of Marietta Invitational
Marietta will take on visiting Purdue tomorrow on the Muskingum River

March 29, 2008
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College women’s rowing team hosted D’Youville (N.Y.College and the University of Charleston (W.Va.) Saturday (March 29) morning for the 2008 Marietta Invitational. The schedule originally included a men’s competition but late cancellations left the men without anyone to race. Conditions on the Muskingum River featured a strong cross tail breeze with a fast tail current, providing an opportunity for very low times. The Lady Pioneers had a solid day of racing, taking first in all three races to sweep the event.

Each school sent a Varsity 8+ out on the course to open the morning’s racing. Marietta, which featured senior bow Meredith Hay (Berwick, Maine/Marshwood), senior Amee Epling (Parkersburg, W.Va.), senior Meg Foraker (New Lexington/Culver Academy), sophomore Caitlin Piotrowski (Dublin/Dublin Jerome), freshman Katherine Thomas (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area), junior Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.), senior Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler), junior stroke Anjouli Dapice (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) and sophomore coxswain Lauren Talasnik (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest), led the race wire-to-wire, finishing the 2,000m course in 5:26.4. Charleston crossed the line 25 seconds later (5:51.48) in second place, while D’Youville took third (6:16.18).

Marietta and Charleston then went head-to-head in the Freshmen/Novice 4+. It took slightly longer for the shells to align at the start, resulting in the race becoming slightly less than 2,000m. The Pioneers, which sat freshman bow Miki Abitante (Columbia, Md./Atholton), freshman Brooke Exley (Phoenixville, Pa.), freshman Megan Stuhlfauth (Hainesport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), freshman stroke Yolien Peeters (Cranberry Twp, Pa./Seneca Valley) and freshman coxswain Stockard Hyjek (Leetsdale, Pa./Quaker Valley), jumped out to a fast start and cruised to a 23-second victory. Marietta crossed the line in 5:28.2, while Charleston finished in 5:51.32.

The Varsity 4+ closed out the competition with a race against D’Youville. Junior bow Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.), senior Meg Foraker (New Lexington/Culver Academy), junior Anjouli Dapice (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic), senior stroke Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) and senior coxswain Meredith Hay (Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) helped Marietta make it a clean sweep with a 30-second win, finishing in 5:37.8. D’Youville followed in 6:07.85.

The Pioneers will return to action on Sunday (March 30) afternoon when the men’s team joins them in hosting Purdue University for the 53rd annual Challenge Cup. Action begins at 12:30 p.m. on the Muskingum River.