May 1, 2004

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The varsity 8 placed second in the petite finals of the New England Championships, highlighting a solid day for the Fairfield University crew team. The varsity 4+ and the novice 8 also enjoyed good performances during the regatta.

The day started for the varsity 8 with a heat race, which saw the squad take fourth with a time of 8:07.51. The boat went against a very stiff headwind and heavy chop in the heat race, which was the difference.

The time qualified for the petite final, and the Stags battled Colby College to the very end before falling by two seconds. Colby took an early lead and appeared to have a strong hold on the race. However, the Stags battled back and eventually took a lead 1700 meters into the event, before Colby expended one more burst which was the difference.

The Red and White posted a time of 8:36.68, behind the efforts of coxswain Katie Molteni, Jen White, Katie Gill, Maureen Sullivan, Christine Opiela, Mary Claire Finnen, Beth Hemingway, Amy Ferguson and Andrea Bazos.

"We are peaking at the right time," Head Coach Andre Albert said. "Hopefully, we can bring this momentum into Philadelphia (Dad Vails this weekend) and make the medal round."

The novice 8 had a new look for the New Englands, as assistant coach Katie Remley made a few adjustments to the lineup. While the team did not qualify for the finals, it still rowed a strong race. With a strong effort from coxswain Thais Pagan, Jessica Raymond, Emily Green, Brittany Teehan, Claire Meehan, Katie Donahue, Brittany Child, Christine Anglace and Gaby Dogali, the novice 8 secured fifth in its heat with a time of 8:49.57.

In varsity 4+ action, the Stags secured fifth place in their heat with a time of 9:34.94, which did not qualify for the finals. Like the novice 8, the varsity 4+ had a lineup change midweek and performed admirably at New Englands despite only two days of practice. The shell included coxswain Erin Daly, Erica Mullaney, Kate Chesny, Maura O'Connor and Katy Healy.

"They thought they had a good race, but obviously felt the changes," Coach Albert said. "They looked solid in practice and did a good job, especially with the new lineup and rigging scheme."

The Stags look forward to the Dad Vails in Philadelphia this weekend, as the three-day event begins on May 6.