Avaya Collegiate Championships
at West Windsor, N.J.

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — The 2002 rowing season concluded in championship fashion May 11-12 at the Avaya Championship Regatta in Mercer County, N.J., as the Bates women's novice eight successful upheld their top seed headed into the meet, finishing the season with just one loss.

The Bobcats won their preliminary race Saturday with a 2.5 second victory over Division I California-Irvine, though their time was the slowest of the three heat winners at 7:01.97. After two attempts at the race were called back after the start, the third time ended up being the charm. Bates got off the line in third place, trailing Tufts - the only team to have defeated the Bobcats during the season - and New Hampshire. Bates had caught the Jumbos by the 400-meter mark and were ahead of the field by a full boat-length after 1,000-meters.

"From there, [coxswain] Carly [Rockstroh (Swampscott, Mass.)] kept her crew in control," head coach Andrew Carter said. "As the race announcer called, they were rowing long, smooth and in control of the race."

Bates' final margin was 4.09 seconds, nearly 1.5 boat-lengths over Division I Ohio State, to give Bates rowing its first rowing championship in school history.

In the Bobcats' other races, both the men's varsity an novice eight finished third in their final race and 15th overall, while the women's second varsity made the Petite Final and finished 12th overall. In the team points race, Bates finished 20th overall, 12th for the women and 26th for the men.