May 9, 2006

FAIRFIELD, CT - The Spring Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championships rank foremost among SHU Crew's favorite regattas. This year, unlike so many memorable years past, perfect weather allowed racing to progress unhindered throughout the day. For seniors on the Pioneer squad, whose collegiate rowing nears ending, excellent results and overwhelming parental support made this a fine culmination to careers spent building a spirited and forceful presence.

Women from Fordham, Iona, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, Geneseo, Albany, Manhattan, Binghamton, Stony Brook, Hofstra and Lesley accumulated women's team points in that order, while USMMA, NYU and Scranton also fielded men's crews to place in overall team rankings among the fourteen schools attending. The Pioneers ranked sixth overall with only a women's contingent competing.

With high hopes, two women's pairs from Sacred Heart went to the line for the first race of the day. Senior captain Casey Lyth stroked with junior partner Laurie Ladouceur at bow in the first boat, while sophomore Caitlin Rousseau stroked the other with junior Caroline Picknally in bow. Rousseau and Picknally had won the pair's event in Harlem earlier this spring. Lyth and Ladouceur had advanced at the Knecht Cup to take third in the pairs final. The two crews were eager to race not only each other but also crews from Manhattan, Albany and Lesley.

Unfortunately, from confusion and impatience by the officials at the starting line, Rousseau and Picknally were disqualified and couldn't race. Lyth and Ladouceur rowed to victory and gold, 26 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Manhattan and 36 seconds ahead of Albany. Lesley followed up 52 seconds behind the winners.

SHU's Novice 4+ (Amy Dion, Ashley Stearns, Katie Schlosser and Jillian Crisci) raced well in their heat, finishing second behind Fairfield but easily maintaining a comfortable distance between third place Scranton and fourth place Stony Brook. The Novice 4+ final proved an exhilarating race for Sacred Heart fans at the finish line. The Pioneers took a lead early and held their tenuous lead over second-place Fairfield the entire distance. Grad-student coxswain Alison Daly kept her crew cool and confident during the close racing, never allowing the Stags to gain. The Pioneer crew ultimately defeated seven crews in their quest for gold.

The Pioneer JV 8+ ( Amy Dion, Alycia Noeth, Jessica Roberts, Ashley Stearns, Kristina Dolan, Jillian Crisci, Emily Keogler and Angelica McKessy) rowed a heated race next to Stony Brook in a three-boat straight final. After battling head-to-head down the length of the course, Sacred Heart pulled it off with their sprint at the finish--taking silver just 5 seconds ahead of Stony Brook but behind gold-winner Fordham by 24 seconds.

SHU's Varsity 4+ ( Desiree Johnston, Casey Lyth, Laurie Ladouceur, Erin Nash and coxswain Melissa Allen) rowed well in their heat for a close fifth, thus failing to advance to the final. Fordham and Geneseo established a comfortable first and second place lead early on, with Albany, Stony Brook and SHU following up in that order only seconds apart. USMMA fell at sixth.

The Pioneer Novice 8+ (Jessica Roberts, Mallory Berko, Lilah Rossi, Katherine Irizzary, Kristina Dolan, Ann Marie Vecchiollo, Emily Keogler, Erika Spadaforo and coxswain Ali Daley) finished 5th in their heat ahead of Scranton at 6th, but behind Fairfield, Iona and Albany, who denied the Pioneers' advancement to finals.

SHU's Varsity eight (Desiree Johnston, Erin Nash, Caitlin Rousseau, Jessica McCarthy, Katie Schlosser, Caroline Picknally, Ivanna Williams Melissa Allen and coxswain Ali Daley) raced hard in their heat, finishing in 7:26.7, only seconds behind third place Geneseo (7:24.5) and fourth place Binghamton (7:25.9). Fordham took first in 6:55 with Iona 19 seconds behind for second.

SHU Parents prepared a graduation picnic in honor of the seniors: Desiree Johnston, Casey Lyth, Angelica McKessy and Erin Nash. Sunny skies, golds, silver and a supportive showing of parents and SHU Crew alumni made for a happy and successful day indeed.