Grand Valley scores successful five-peat at ACRA
Sunday, May 27th, 2012Heat and Humidity were obstacles for the Grand Valley Rowing team at the American Collegiate Rowing Association Championship in Gainesville, Georgia along with fierce competition. Throughout the weekend, sustained heat and humidity persisted, challenging rowers and coxswains to stay hydrated. However, in the end, things would work out for the Lakers, as Grand Valley Rowing succeeded in scoring its Fifth straight ACRA Women’s and ACRA Overall Team Points Championships, continuing its winning streak since the inaugural ACRA Championship.
Saturday’s heats and semifinals went well for the Lakers, with a Men’s Varsity 8+, Men’s Second Varsity 8+ Men’s Novice 8+, Men’s Double, Men’s Pair, a Women’s Varsity 8+, Women’s Novice 8+, Women’s Second Varsity 8+, and a Women’s Single making it to the Grand Finals
The Women’s Varsity 8+, coxed by Jordan Hart ’13 and rowed by Shelby Welbaum ’14, Rebecca Studer ’13, Jessica Vogl ’13, Nicole Hagoort ’13, Kylen Pattermann ’13, Lauren Adlof ’12, Lindsay Marshall ’12, and Carey Mankins ’13 took First in their preliminary heat with a time of 6:54.7; advancing them to the Grand Finals. The women took Gold in the Grand Finals with a winning time of 6:23.4.
The Men’s Varsity 8+, coxed by Chris Simon ’14 and rowed by Jimmy Wilkie ’12, Chad Condon ’13, Ken Pierson ’14, Nate Biolchini ’13, Keegen Jahnke ’13, Austin Burris ’15, Marco Benedetti ’12, and Justin Wegner ’13, took First in their heat with a time of 5:57.1; advancing them to the Grand Finals. In the Grand Finals they took Fourth with a time of 5:53.7.
The Women’s Second Varsity 8+, coxed by Jeremy Schaumann ’13 and rowed by Staci O’Brien ’14, Kersten O’Brien ’14, Jordan Crandell ’14, Beth Czarnecki ’12, Chelsea Shoop ’13, Molly Visel, Amy Brunner ’13, and Alese Garstick ’14, took Second in their preliminary heat with a time of 7:19.0. In the Grand Finals they took Third with a time of 6:23.4.
The Men’s Second Varsity 8+, coxed by Dayna Campbell ’12 and rowed by Thomas Sawicki ’14, Dominic Kootsillas-Conybeare ’13, Costas Ciungan ’14, Sam Fearnow ’12 Ryan Kasley ’13, Ben Steel ’14, Ed Avena ’14, and Anthony Anzell ’13, took Second in their heat with a time of 6:21.0; advancing them to the Grand Finals. In the Grand Finals they took Third with a time of 5:53.7.
The Women’s Novice 8+, coxed by Liz Teesdale ’15 and rowed by Brittany Hyde ’15, Kaitlyn VanBoven ’15, Courtney Panter ’14, Kelsey VanAmberg ’15, Victoria Lloyd ’15, Elissa Besson ’15, Marie Brown ’14, Emily Bohn ’14, and Erin Hocker ’15, took Second in their preliminary heat with a time of 7:07.3; advancing them to the Grand Finals. In the Grand Finals they took Gold with a winning time of 6:51.8.
The Men’s Novice 8+, coxed by Rhiannon McHenry ’15 and rowed by Nate Bremer ’15, EJ O’Mara ’14, Nicholas Maodush-Pitzer ’15, Justin Bartaway ’14, Chris Gaigalas ’15, Derek Bruckner ’15, Spencer West ’15, and Justin Ebert ’15, took Second in their heat with a time of 6:25.7; advancing them to the Grand Finals. In the Grand Finals they took Sixth with a time of 6:01.7.
The Men’s Varsity Four, coxed by Kyle Barnhart ’14 and rowed by Chris Deneau ’13, Tucker Anderson ’12, Jacob Bouwman ’13, Steve Brown ’13, and Adam Wlodkowski, took Third in their heat with a time of 7:17.6; placing them in the B-Final. In the B-Final they took Second with a time of 6:45.0.
The Men’s Double, rowed by Nicholas Farrugia ’15 and Marty Reed ’12, took Third in their Heat with a time of 8:19.8, which advanced them to the Grand Finals. In the Finals they took Seventh with a time of 8:22.1.
The Women’s Single, rowed by Hanna Jones ’12, took Third in her heat with a time of 9:17.4; advancing her to the Grand Finals. In the Finals she took Sixth with a finishing time of 9:12.1.
The Men’s Single, rowed by Chris Picklo ’13, took Fifth in his Heat with a time of 8:23.42, which advanced him to the B-Final. He took Second in the B-final with a time of 8:01.7.
The Men’s Varsity Pair, rowed by Peter Zwierzynski ’13 and Adam Wlodkowski ’14, took Third in their heat with a time of 7:46.4; advancing them to Reprechages. They won their Reprechage with a time of 7:33.1; advancing them to the Grand Finals. In the Finals they took fourth with a time of 7:16.9.
The ACRA National Championship had a great deal of fantastic racing and the Lakers were successful enough across the board to defend their Overall Team Points Championship, a title they have defended since the first ACRA National Championship, alongside the ACRA Women’s Team Points Championship.