May 2, 2011
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - The Georgetown University Rowing team claimed third place at the 2011 BIG EAST Rowing Championship Regatta on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. on Sunday and three Hoyas earned All BIG EAST honors, as Erin Carter was named to the first team, while Dasha Ryaboshapka and Victoria Stulgis were each named to the second team.
Georgetown's second varsity four, consisting of coxswain Alex San Jose, stroke Rachel Gary, Marianne Hoeft, Claire Murphy and bow Mariah Costello earned the gold medal in the varsity four final, finishing in front of Notre Dame and West Virginia in a time of 7:54.95.
The Hoyas medaled in another four races, taking one silver medal and three bronze medals to earn a cumulative 95 points, two more than they earned at the 2010 BIG EAST Championship.
"Our season goal was to close the gap and get closer to number one," Rowing Head Coach Glenn Putyrae said. "Even though we finished third, we've closed the overall margin. Four of our five boats medaled and we scored more points this season."
Georgetown's varsity eight, including coxswain Victoria Stulgis, stroke Lindsey Bragg, Kayla McNeill, Amanda Savage, Kyla Cook, Dasha Ryaboshapka, Erin Carter, Sydney LeGuyader and bow Haley Allen earned a bronze medal, finishing just four seconds behind gold medalist Louisville.
The Hoyas varsity eight boat placed three student-athletes on all conference crews, with Carter earning first team honors, and Ryaboshapka and Stulgis earning spots on the second team.
"Erin Carter is not only one of our best athletes, but one of our best leaders and was selected because of her consistent performance throughout the year and the leadership she provided," Putyrae said. "Dasha is our best individual athlete and has already been recognized on the national level being named to the US Rowing under 23 National Selection team and Victoria, a senior coxswain, came over from the men's team last year and has consistently been a driving force on all of the crews she has been a part of and gotten the best from our rowers."
The Hoyas second varsity eight also captured a bronze medal in a time of 6:58.15, with a crew including coxswain Libby Hambleton,stroke Clare Southern, Emma Ciccotti, Carly McCaffrey, Angela Nelson, Katherine Farrell, Ally Flinn, Margi Emhof, And Vicki Stutz. The Hoyas finished behind Notre Dame and Louisville.
The third varsity eight earned a bronze medal, finishing behind Notre Dame and Louisville in a time of 7:18.03 with a lineup including, coxswain Devon O'Brien, stroke Lauren Abrams, Hannah Kittel, Kate Finnerty, Isabel Aguirre-Kelly, Marissa Morgan, Alena Petrella, Ani Zotti and bow Kelsey Wilson.
Georgetown's third varsity four earned a silver medal, with a boat consisting of coxswain Mikaela Medeiros, stroke Maggie Girard, Anna Drabek, Tegan Campia and bow Bridget Gribbin. The third varsity four finished in 8:20.03 behind Notre Dame.
The Hoyas return to the water on Sunday, May 8 when they race George Washington on the Potomac River. It will be the GU's last race before the EAWRC Sprints scheduled for May 15 on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J.
