The William Smith College rowing team concluded its fall racing schedule at the Challenge on the Canal today. Boats raced down a 4.4-kilometer head racecourse on the Cayuga Seneca Canal. The Herons collected two victories in the regatta.
In the first session, Rochester Institute of Technology, Mercyhurst and the Herons competed in small boats and first-year/ Novice eight races. The afternoon session featured eights races. The Lakers won three events.
PAIRS
- William Smith entered four boats in the pairs racing. The Herons finished second and third behind the Lakers. William Smith’s boat which started 10th finished second overall, posting a time of 21:30.18. The Herons’ second boat stopped the clock at 22:02.53.
- The Herons also placed fifth and sixth in the event. They posted times of 23:16.89 and 23:22.76, respectively.
FOURS
- William Smith won the varsity four race by five seconds over the Tigers. The Herons recorded a time of 19:14.64.
- The Lakers finished third overall.
NOVICE EIGHT
- The Herons posted a dominant victory in the Novice Eight race. They stopped the clock at 19:57.12, 17 seconds ahead of RIT.
COACH” S CORNER
“The Herons had a strong showing hosting Mercyhurst University, the 2022 DII National Champions, and Liberty League Rival, RIT,” HWS Director of Rowing and William Smith Head Rowing Coach Paul Bugenhagen said. “In our three races this fall we learned a lot about racing and how we can set ourselves up for our best efforts. I was very pleased with the energy and focus of the team. The morning started strong with our pairs racing well among each other and then the wins in W4+ and F/N8+ were excellent. It was great to see the 4+ back in form and the debut of our first-year Herons with their novice teammates was just outstanding!”
EIGHT
- William Smith entered three eights in the afternoon session,
- The Herons’ top boat posted a time of 17:46.84, five seconds behind the Lakers’ boat.
- William Smith’s second boat was fourth, stopping the clock at 18:30.57. The Herons also finished sixth.
ADDITIONAL COACH’S THOUGHTS
“In the second session, we were excited to race the Mercyhurst eight because we know they’re well coached and have women who train hard and know how to win big races,” Bugenhagen said. “To see our V8 in tight competition with them and ahead of our respected league rivals RIT keeps our motivation high as we conclude the fall season. Our team has 2 strong event performances to bookend their three-race fall season and we’re all looking forward to a productive block of training and our January camp in Florida”
UP NEXT
The Herons will be back in action on Mar. 30, when it heads to Ithaca for the Ithaca Duels.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].