MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Duquesne Women’s Rowing Team loaded a few vans for the 20-minute drive from campus to Robert Morris University’s McPhail Boathouse to compete against the RMU Colonials and Canisius College Gryphons in a Yinzer Cup contest.
As the Dukes prepared their shells for racing on a pleasantly sun-kissed fall day in western Pennsylvania, a significant headwind prepared that also challenged all crews. It wasn’t until the first crew put their boat in the water that the headwind picked up, but when it did the wind was gusty and unrelenting. Despite the nature of the wind, the water remained rowable, if a bit choppy, and the Duquesne athletes set off in four separate 8+s for a race against the other crews and the wind, all in the same race.
The crews’ starting order was Duquesne 1V8, Canisius, RMU 1V8, Duquesne 2V8, RMU 2V8, Duquesne 3V8, Duquesne 4V8.
As the race started, the Duquesne 1V8 passed Elizabeth Kuehn, immediately began to increase their lead on the field. The crew hit a speed of 32-33 bpm and had great flow and rhythm on their shots. No crew on the water could close the water on the Duquesne 1V8 and they earned first place for their efforts.
The Duquesne 2V8, which started the course fourth, was pushed past Catherine Egan, took an aggressive early attack on the Robert Morris 1V8. The early aggression served the Duquesne crew well; they could get past the Colonials, and while they never got along with the Gryphons on an equal footing, they could lock a lot of water on them. The Dukes 2V8s completed the course in 15:40 and finished the course with the second fastest time of the day.
Start of studies 6ththe Duquesne 3V8 pushed by Rory BrouillardShe started with the plan to track down as many boats as possible. They were able to catch and pass the RMU 2V8 for the first half of the race and spent the rest of the race chasing the top end of the field. Rory handled her crew at around 30-32 bpm and as she neared the finish line the crew looked sharp and engaged. For their performance, the Duquesne 3V8 placed fourth ahead of the RMU 1V8 and behind the Canisius 1V8.
The last crew down the course was the Duquesne 4V8+ piloted by Paige Engel. For Paige, it was a return to the waters of her high school crew, and she particularly enjoyed speeding down a familiar course. The Dukes aimed to pass at least one crew and have a great race, and with a pass from the RMU 2V8, the crew achieved their goal. The crew looked solid at around 30 bpm, felt good with their race and performance on the day and took home a sixth place finish.
From preparing his team for the race and performing that day, Head Coach Matt Carlsen said: “We’ve been very blessed in practice to have pretty much ideal conditions every day. It’s been great to see the team stepping up and riding well with the headwind and the chop. As we prepare for Head of the Schuylkill, I’ll I keep praying for more wind so we can prepare for the road to Philadelphia.”
With a first, second, fourth and sixth place finish, the Dukes earned the Yinzer Cup. The Yinzer Cup will be held on the Bluff until at least October 2023.
The Dukes return to action Oct. 29 in Philadelphiathas they race crews from 29 other colleges and two boat clubs at the head of the Schuylkill Regatta at the historic Schuylkill River Race Course.
Results:
4500m course
Duquesne 1V8: 15:28
Duquesne 2V8: 15:40
Canisius 1V8: 15:54
Duquesne 3V8: 16:13
Robert Morris 1V8: 16:45
Duquesne 4V8: 17:30
Robert Morris 2V8: 19:22
Lineups:
DUQ1V8
Helmsman: Elizabeth Kuehn
Stroke: Michael Nestel
7: Hannah Valentine
6: Lauren Boyce
5: Payton Campbell
4: Madison Barker
3: Britta Wheeler
2: Rebecca Swanson
Bow: Grace Kennevan
DUQ2V8:
Helmsman: Catherine Egan
Stroke: Bridget Abbott
7: Isabella Abbot
6: Sarah Ricketts
5: Brigid Hagh
4: Aynslee Sibley
3: Cherise Dicke
2: Samantha Szlachta
Bow: Mikayla Bayto
DUQ3V8:
Helmsman: Rory Brouillard
Stroke: Eliza Mance
7: Isabella Trovato
6: Jillian Peters
5: Haley Haukedahl
4: Nya Muffoletto
3: Mia Durante
2: Maggie Ray
Bow: Natalie Hesh
DUQ4V8:
Helmsman: Paige Engel
Stroke: Kathryn Ackerman
7: Megan Eliot
6: Olivia Silbert
5: Kiran Dahnke
4: Kelly Ardrey
3: Megan McMahon
2: Rosemary van der Net
Bow: Sydney Lynch
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