May 14, 2008

Coast Guard Academy Selected for NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Championship

NEW LONDON, CONN.--For the fifth time in the last six years, the United States Coast Guard Academy Women's Varsity Eight has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Championships which will be held May 30 through June 1 at Sacramento State Aquatic Center in Gold River, California. The University of California, Berkeley, will serve as host.

The championships are comprised of seven teams and each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers and a coxswain. In addition to the teams, two at-large Eights are also selected. The schools represented by teams this year include Williams, Bates, Ithaca, Puget Sound, Trinity (Connecticut), St. Lawrence and William Smith. The at-large eights are the Coast Guard Academy and Washington (Maryland).

The Bears return to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season earning three straight berths in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2003, the Bears Varsity Eight captured the bronze and the team brought home the NCAA 4th place finish team trophy. In 2004 and 2005 the Bears finished 5th and 8th respectively. Last season the Varsity Eight also placed eighth.

The varsity eight consists of The Varsity 8 was comprised of Tenley Barna (Sr), Adriana Knies (Sr), Maggie Ward (Jr), Emily Holt (Sr), Lauren Milici (Jr), Kate Dacimo (Fr), Sarah Jane Otey (Fr), Sarah Southard (Sr), and Rory Keegan (Jr).