The Hawk

Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Sports

Women's rowing begins season with strong performance.

Coach Gerry Quinlan and the women's rowing team launched their 2007 campaign with a strong performance in Wilmington, hosted by the Delaware Blue Hens.

Hawk boats dominated the Varsity 8 race, claiming first through third place on the 2.8 mile course.

Saturday's race was twice as long as spring races, making it unique for the club. The races at Delaware will hopefully be a start to a promising season.

"We did shine in aspects that we needed improvement on last season-namely tactics and instincts. For the next race, we hope to strike at a higher rate while being effective and more aggressive early on," said Quinlan after the day's events.

However, St. Joe's feels confident in the 2007 version of Hawks rowing.

Like most senior classes of previous Hawk rowing squads, the class of 2008 has made their mark in the water, winning a variety of events over their four year collegiate career.

"We are in a fantastic position this season, led by nine seniors. Our training is very intense and to have the leadership of so many athletes is invaluable," said Coach Quinlan.

Rowers of the class of 2008 include: Alicia Easby-Smith, Kelly McKinley, Kathleen Radebaugh, Christina Sadowski, Liz Sauter, Meaghan Stanton, Caitlin Twaddell, Jeanne Wells, and Kaitlyn Weston.

Easby-Smith and Sauter are two of the captains of the talented Varsity 8 boat, along with Debbie Bateman, '09, an ESPN Academic All-District performer. McKinley and Stanton are seniors who join their three captains in the boat. The remaining members of the successful boat are underclassmen.

"Our senior class has built an atmosphere of competitiveness and teamwork that will last for us to build on next season," said Quinlan. "We have seen a tremendous increase in competitiveness, built on lessons from previous classes."

The race this past weekend was the first since the team's outstanding performance at last spring's Dad Vail. The Hawks took second place in the Varsity 8 race at Dad Vail.

With over 100 schools, there is little room for error in such a competitive race.

"We train to win but considering that 119 universities were vying, we were happy with second place," said Quinlan. "We didn't have a great start last year at the Dad Vail. This year we know that we need to have a flawless race. Perfection is what wins. We practice everyday to be perfect-perfect in the water, the classroom, the weight room, and in the community."

St. Joe's will now be able to rest for a bit before getting back in the water for competition.

The Hawks' next race is the Navy Day Regatta on Oct. 13, followed by the Schuylkill Regatta at the end of the month.

Nevertheless, the Hawks rowers will take it day-by-day in whatever tasks they juggle in their preparation for the spring's main events.

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