Bates vs. Tufts, Wesleyan, UNH
at Malden River, Malden, Mass.

MALDEN, Mass. — The Bates rowing team traveled to Tufts' new venue on the Malden River to row against the Jumbos, Wesleyan and the University of New Hampshire. The course could only accomodate two boats at once, meaning the teams had to face off in head-to-head match-ups. Head coach Andrew Carter filed this report.

Varsity Women 8+

After a difficult start to the season a week earlier at WPI, the unranked Bobcats went up against the hosts from Tufts, the No. 18 team in the nation. The Bates women got out to an early lead, making up the stagger deficit before the first turn. From that point, they never looked back, stretching their lead to 8.5 seconds by the finish. Bates followed up with a race against No. 7 Wesleyan. Cardinals showed good speed from start to finish, holding an impressive 18.5 second advantage at the line, upholding their national ranking.

1. Bates       6:43.4
2. Tufts       6:51.9

1. Wesleyan    6:34.7
2. Bates       6:53.2
  
Lineup:   Shelby Graham, Kate Mannle, Andrea Noyes, 
Lindsay Fry, Anna Felton, Laura Allen, 
Renee Blacken, Lori Massa, Kate Strum (coxswain)

Varsity Men 8+

The men's varsity met up with impressive crews from Tufts and UNH. Bates got out early on undefeated Tufts and led at the 750-meter mark. Making the best of the inside of the final turn, Tufts pulled ahead and lengthened their lead in the final 1000m for an 8.2 second win. Following the tough race with Tufts, the Bobcats returned to the start for their match with UNH. Again establishing an early lead, Bates was unable to maintain their pace. UNH took over the race in the second half and edged the varsity by 4.2 seconds.

1. Tufts    5:49.3
2. Bates    5:57.5

1. UNH      5:56.2
2. Bates    6:00.4

Lineup:    Pete Mertz, Mark Thomson, John Bunce, 
Tim Talbot, Drew Walsh, Jeff Benecchi, Ryan Champagne, 
Chal Congdon, Elizabeth Berkey (coxswain)

Frosh men 8+

In the closest race of the day, the Bates frosh pulled out a come-from-behind victory over Wesleyan, nipping the Cardinals by 0.1 seconds at the line. Physically and emotionally drained, the Bobcats returned to the start for a match with UNH crew that had just cruised to an easy 25 second victory over Tufts. The Bobcats' fatigue showed, as an untimely crab with 200 meters to go stopped the boat dead. UNH took advantage of the error and moved on to an easy win.

1. Bates      6:08.0
2. Wesleyan   6:08.1
1. UNH        5:59.4
2. Bates      6:24.1
 
Lineup:  Josh Lichtman, Colm McCarthy, Marcus Owens, 
Graham Marsh, Sam Hotchkiss, Justin Jacobs, 
Karl Dietrich, Andrew Byrnes, Laurie Lau (coxswain)

Frosh women 8+

The Bates frosh started the day with a good win over the 2V crew from Tufts. However, the follow-up against the Tufts frosh did not go as well. With a tough crab at the 500-meter mark, the Jumbos jumped out to a three length lead before the Bobcats could recover. Once out of the turns and into the final 1,000 meters, Tufts built on their lead and finished 12.8 seconds ahead.

1. Bates      7:00.0
2. Tufts 2V   7:07.3
1. Tufts      6:51.3
2. Bates      7:04.1


 
Lineup:   Dierdre Grant, Katie Carroll, Lauren Reynolds, 
Debbie Opar, Sienna Vorono, Kate Kemp, 
Elizabeth Diamond, Kari Ording, Carly Rockstroh (coxswain)

Men 2nd Varsity 8+

The men's 2V dropped a pair to Wesleyan and UNH. With the men's team still hampered by injuries, rookie Sam Hotchkiss (Meadville, Pa.) once again doubled into the 2V for the Wesleyan match, making three consecutive races for the first year novice. In the spirit of good will, UNH provided a spare for the race against the New Hampshire crew. UNH still proved too much on the day for the Bates men taking them at the line by 10.4 seconds.

1. Wesleyan    6:04.8
2. Bates       6:38.9

1. UNH         6:12.4
2. Bates       6:22.8

Lineup:  Chris McTighe, Stacy Layton, James Fischer, 
Andrew Caraganis, Sam Hotchkiss, Nate McConarty, 
Phillip Beickler, Peter Ryan, Laurie Lau (coxswain)