Nov. 6, 2003

FAIRFIELD, CT - SHU Crew finishes their fall racing season on an historic note, rowing away with gold from the Dowling College Alumni Cup on November 2 in Oakdale, NY. The win was a first for any crew in Sacred Heart's young program.

A powerful novice 4+, crewed by frosh stern pair Caroline Picknally at stroke and Ashley Pratt (3 seat), sophomores Kerin Fullam (2 seat) and Jennifer Travers (bow), and coxed by junior Ali Daly, began by finishing with a significant lead in their qualifying heat.

Minutes before launching a borrowed boat, the resilient crew endured a sudden change in lineup forced by the traditional port-rigged configuration. Also, while bow-loaded fours are common, Ali Daly had never coxed from that position. They had practiced with starboard stroke Jennifer Travers in SHU's only four-oared shell, a stern-loaded boat. The busy race schedule allowed no time to re-rig the unfamiliar boat, so they rolled with the change courageously and settled in.

Sacred Heart led first around the bend into sight toward the finish of the heat. Crews from NYU, Iona, Fairfield and Hofstra trailed in a pack behind the Pioneers, battling for the next three positions that would allow them to advance to the finals. Comfortable lengths of open water separated the SHU boat from the rest of the fleet as they crossed the line to a cheering crowd.

Only Fairfield failed to advance in the five-boat heat. Of the four boats in the second heat, Dowling and Stony Brook advanced over Cazenovia and Sarah Lawrence.

In the six-boat final three hours later, the Pioneers did it again. Amidst the spectators' roaring applause, Sacred Heart rowed enough in front to savor, in nearing triumph, the final strokes to gold.

Special thanks were extended to the Fairfield University men's team for use of the boat in which the crew raced. The borrowed boat allowed another SHU crew to race the previous event in their own shell. This crew, a fully frosh and novice four, placed second to Stony Brook by five seconds, beating Fairfield and NYU by eleven seconds and over a minute respectively. Kristin Schwartz, Megan Wood, Ali Vigada, Theresa Salerno and cox Tara Ryan showed the competition that Sacred Heart's frosh contingent is deep with strength and will only get faster. The SHU novice eight placed fifth in a six-boat fleet, beating NYU by more than half a minute but losing to winner Stony Brook by a similar spread.

Tough varsity competition gave the Pioneer crews some work. Many of the SHU varsity rowers were novice last year, but seasoned crews from more established programs felt their presence nonetheless. The pair, lightweight four, open-weight four, and varsity eight rowed to third of three, third of four, fourth of five and sixth of seven respectively.

Only winning crews were awarded medals. The formal ceremony-overlooking the river from the lawn of Dowling's stately Fortunoff Building- was particularly sweet for the Pioneers. It marked a reward for the determined struggle of all crews past and a measure of what's to come.