FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

BATES WOMEN'S CREW GAINS NATIONAL RANKING

LEWISTON, Maine - The Bates College women's rowing team, in its first season as a varsity program, has earned a top-10 spot among Division II and III Varsity Eights, according to the a coaches poll released April 5 by USRowing and the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA). 

"It is a great honor to be ranked with the best programs in the country, particularly as a first-year varsity sport," said first-year head coach Richard Ruggieri. "I am very proud of the student-athletes. Hopefully, we can stay focused and continue to win races and improve as the season goes on."

Active as a club program since 1986, Bates rowing is excelling in its first varsity campaign under Ruggieri, who came to Bates from the prestigious Vesper Rowing club in Philadelphia. The women's varsity eight boat finished the fall season with a 55-3 record, including wins over top-ranked William Smith College and No. 3 Williams at the Head of the Fish regatta, hosted by Skidmore College Oct. 29. The Bobcats opened the spring season April 1 by winning nine of 11 races at Mt. Holyoke College, as the women's varsity eights defeated No. 19 Mt. Holyoke College, as well as Middlebury and Vassar colleges.

Bates rows this weekend against Mass. Maritime Academy, UMass-Lowell and WPI in Worcester, Mass.
 

Women's NCAA Division II/III Varsity Eights
        Team (1st-Place Votes)         Points
1.      William Smith (1)               126
2.      California-Davis (4)            116
3.      Williams College (2)            114
4.      Ithaca College                  113
5.      U.S. Coast Guard Academy         94
6.      Wesleyan University              68
7.     Bates College               60
8.      Connecticut College              57
9.      Smith College                    54
10.     Skidmore College                 50
11.     Marietta College                 47
12.     Western Washington University    45
13t.    Colby College                    39
13t.    Johns Hopkins University         39
13t.    Barry University                 39
16.     University of San Diego          34
17.     Trinity (Conn.) College          33
18.     Pacific Lutheran University      32
19t.    Mercyhurst College               27
19t.    Mount Holyoke College            27
19t.    Tufts University                 27

Others receiving votes: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 24, 
Washington (Md.) College 23, Rochester Institute of Technology 15, 
Seattle Pacific University 13, College of Holy Cross 11, Savannah 
College of Art and Design 8, Union College 8, Wellesley College 7, 
Vassar College 4, Humboldt State University 3, Hamilton College 2, 
and Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1.