BRIGANTINE, N.J. – Bryn Mawr was back in action this weekend out on the water, as the Owls rowers traveled to New Jersey for the Stockton-Brigantine Boat Race. It was another strong weekend for the Owls, with the teams racing in time trials on Saturday before competing in a couple of two- or three-boat heats on Sunday.
After a solid afternoon of time trials on Saturday, Bryn Mawr's Varsity and Second Varsity Eights each competed in two heats on Sunday against some tough competition. On Sunday, the Owls' varsity eight was coxed by Abigail Harris, with Madelynn Hicks, Tova Just, Maura Clancy, and Trinity Dillard in the first four seats. Sarah Stephens, Coco Vallon, Emily Rho, and Eleanor Wheeler rounded out the rest of the varsity eight on the day.
In the first race, the Owls' varsity eight suffered a bit of confusion at the start, but fought through some rainy conditions to get things together and finish in a time of 6:51.07. That gave them second place in their heat against Army West Point. The Varsity Eight then rebounded nicely in their afternoon heat, winning their matchup against Catholic by over half-a-minute in a time of 6:59.10. Those two finishes were enough for the Owls to tie for first place overall against Army West Point in the Varsity Eight standings.
On the Second Varsity Eight side, Bryn Mawr picked up a big win in their first heat against Franklin & Marshall. The Owls' morning 2v8+ was coxed by Sophia Hofmann, with August Nagler, Sara Radmall, Lindsay Damon, Lily Goltz, Mary Jane Schmidt, Spencer Smith, Claire Ford, and Rania Hammami all in the lineup. Then in the afternoon, Bryn Mawr swapped Smith into the bow and subbed in Allison Eckert, and the Owls again earned a victory in their heat, this time against Catholic. With the pair of wins, the 2V8+ ended up taking first place overall on the day!
"The JV boat did incredibly well this weekend," team manager Anne Meyer reported from the field. "Most of the JV boat crew only started rowing this year, and this was only our second regatta of the season! It is always so exciting to see them row – the have worked so hard and get better with every race!"
"We left the regatta happy with how we did, but a little damp from the constant drizzle all day," continued Meyer. "Lily Goltz said the day was, 'spectacular with a side of rain,' a sentiment shared by the whole team.
Bryn Mawr will now gear up for the Knecht Cup Regatta, which is slated to take place on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. next weekend on April 9 and 10.
Thanks to Anne Meyer for her important contributions to this report from on-site.
