2009 Marietta College women's rowing preview
Pioneers open season with Mayor's Cup on March 14

By Krista Tkacz, SID Intern
March 3, 2009
MARIETTA, Ohio — With spring break quickly approaching and the cold weather refusing to let up, Marietta College women's rowing is eager to get on the water and start the 2009 spring season off on the right track.

Second-year Head Coach Kelly Harris and Assistant Coach Chase Graham are working to improve the Pioneers' record even further this spring. As always, the team hopes to continue to promote a positive attitude and dedication to hard work.

With the team being so young, the importance of leadership from seniors Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area) and Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J.) is essential for success on the water. The seniors plan to work with juniors Caitlin Piotrowski (Dublin/Dublin Jerome) and coxswain Lauren Talasnik (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) as well as sophomores Miki Abitante (Columbia, Md./Atholton), Emily Davis (Louisville, Ky./J. Graham Brown), Brooke Exley (Phoenixville, Pa.), Megan Stuhlfauth (Hainesport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), Michelle Tarracciano (Williston, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) and Katherine Thomas (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area) to build a strong sense of direction.

Adding to this season's potential for the women are four freshmen—Elizabeth Bratton (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Basil Academy), Kelli Barnette (Parkersburg, W.Va./South), coxswain Sara McDaniel (Laura/Milton-Union) and this season's only novice, Jessica Amato (Shelby).

"Although we only have two seniors, I'm confident their experience and positive attitudes will be passed down to their younger counterparts on the team," Harris said. "We really have a promising group of athletes."

Since the Pioneers will not have the opportunity to get on the water before spring break, their time spent in Palm Bay, Fla., will be very important to their hopeful success at the season's first race. Harris expects to row 150-175 miles over the course of spring break and is confident her team's progress up to this point has been substantial.

"We've accomplished a lot of great work in a short time on land," Harris said. "We have a small team, but the quality is growing everyday. By mid-week of spring break, we will have established the top eight women to row in the Varsity 8+, and the remaining four women will race in a Varsity 4+. Throughout the season, we will be open to change based on the competitiveness of these boats. As usual, we're looking to maximize our competitiveness."

The women will kick off their racing season on March 14 at the Mayor's Cup in Tampa, Fla. After winning a silver medal at this race last spring, the women are hoping to leave Tampa with another medal in 2009. On March 28, the women will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for the annual Marietta/Purdue Challenge Cup. The Pioneers will then return home and race in the Marietta Invitational on April 4 where they are looking to defend their title and take home another gold. The women will then be working to place in the top three at the Knecht Cup in Camden, N.J., on April 10-11, the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on April 18-19, and the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference (MARC) Championship in Lewisberry, Pa., on April 25.

"Our long-term goal is to earn a bid to the NCAA Division III Championship and represent the Mid-Atlantic Region," Harris said. "We are confident that this is an achievable goal within the near future and look forward to continuing our progress toward that goal this season."