Rowing’s Varsity Fours Have Strong Showing at Saratoga; Freshmen Continue to Impress

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (November 2, 2015) – The Franklin Pierce University women's rowing team entered four boats over the weekend at the 29th Annual Head of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The team rowed very strong races in both the Freshman 4+ event and the Varsity 4+, while facing off against some of the strongest competition they have seen to date.

The Women's Varsity Four, comprised of sophomore coxswain Grace Walker (Greenfield, Mass.), junior Nicole Rode (Thomaston, Conn.), junior Kirsten Salois (Pelham, N.H.), senior Megan DeFelice (Chester, N.H.) and freshman Marykate Cullinane (Medford, Mass.) had a top-half finish in the crowded, 33-boat field, finishing 14th overall with a time of 13:53.32. The team finished 48 seconds behind Williams College's first boat, which took home the win with a time of 13:04.89. The first varsity finished ahead of boats from New York University, Vassar College, Sacred Heart University and Montreal University, to name a few.

The second varsity four, comprised of senior coxswain Mary Quinn (Erie, Pa.), senior Kasie Tucker (Bow, N.H.), senior Amanda Beasley (Newmarket, N.H.), sophomore Danielle Clarke (Fairfield, Conn.) and sophomore Stephanie Priest (Shrewsbury, Mass.), took 26th place in the same event, rowing the 3200m course in 14:27.22. The four crossed the line ahead of boats from Oswego State, Cazenovia College, St. Lawrence University and the Ohio State University Crew Club.

The Freshman Four put together another impressive performance, finishing fourth overall and just out of the medals in a 16-boat field. The four, led by Quinn, along with freshmen Kyra Fairley (Kingston, N.Y.), Mackenzie Hitch (Oregon, Ohio), Julia Canova (Avon, Conn.) and Onyeris Lopez-Maldonado (Hyde Park, Mass.) completed the course in 14:27.03. The freshman experienced their first loss of the year to boats from Williams College, who took home first with a 13:45, followed by Daws College (14:24.65) and Colgate University (14:27.03). The four finished ahead of 12 boats, which included Wesleyan, St. Lawrence University, Tufts, Coast Guard Academy, University of Rochester, Clarkson, Colgate (B), Cazenovia, Brandeis and Marianopolis College.

The varsity eight, comprised of rowers from the first and second varsity fours and coxed by Walker, rowed the course in 14:20.28 for a 19th place finish in the women's varsity eights.

The team will complete their fall season this coming weekend with the first ever home race in program history as they host Merrimack College and Assumption College on Pearly Pond.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's rowing apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).