The Sacred Heart University women’s rowing team began its fall season at home on the Housatonic River, hosting Fordham, Bryant, Fairfield, Marist, and Holy Cross on Oct. 14 during a rainy morning.
The event marked the start of the competitive season for Sacred Heart as they faced several regional teams. The Pioneers competed in multiple events throughout the day.
In the Varsity 8s Event, Sacred Heart entered three boats. The first varsity boat, consisting of Sydney Kaiser, Saige Harper, Giulianna McCarthy, Olivia Chasse, Ava Manzo, Lucia Catino, Doria Lukasik-Dres, Susan Munley, and Jordan Italia finished third overall with a time of 18:18. Holy Cross took first place at 18:12 and Marist finished second at 18:14. The second varsity boat from Sacred Heart finished in 18:35 and the third varsity boat clocked in at 20:00.
For the Varsity 4s Event, Sacred Heart also had three boats racing. The third varsity four—Amanda Rego, McCarthy, Chasse, Lukasik-Dres, and Munley—posted the fastest time among Pioneer crews at 20:35. The second varsity four finished in 21:10 while the first varsity four followed closely behind at 21:16.
In the Novice 8s Event, Sacred Heart placed fourth with a time of 21:44.
“I’m proud of every boat on our team,” said Head Coach Lucas Wilhelm. “We raced hard and it’s exactly who we want to be. We had solid results in 1v with a tightly contested top of the field. Our 2v finished in front of all the other 2vs. We had a 4+ of underclassman hold their own in a brand-new lineup. I can’t wait for practice on Monday.”
Sacred Heart is scheduled to compete next weekend at the Head of the Charles in Boston.
