Columbia University
EAWRC Sprints
Varsity Eight Takes Bronze, Three Crews Medal at Women's Sprints
5/6/2019 1:44:00 PM | Women's Rowing
Lions hold off URI, Drexel and Northeastern to make the podium
NEW YORK – The Columba women's rowing team took third place in the grand final of the varsity eight on a rainy Sunday at the EAWRC Sprints. The regatta was held on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass.
Columbia's varsity crew took second in its morning heat to earn one of six spots in the afternoon's grand final. The Lions broke out into their third-place position at the 500-meter mark by a half-deck over Rhode Island, Drexel and Northeastern. With Rutgers and Harvard-Radcliffe taking an open-water lead over the rest of the field at the 1,000-meter mark, the Lions concentrated their efforts on maintaining their spot on the podium. Columbia took a two-thirds length lead on Rhode Island heading into the final 500 meters and held on by two seconds, crossing the finish in a time of 6:43.97.
The Lions also qualified for the grand final in the third varsity eight and varsity four events. Both crews medaled in their respective grand finals with third-place finishes. Meanwhile, the second varsity just missed out on the grand final but went on to win the petite final by three seconds over URI with a time of 6:53.19.
"The biggest surprise of the day was our varsity four," Columbia head coach Emerson Curry said. "This lineup was put together a few days before the race and the group proved to be adaptable and aggressive racers. The biggest positive from Sunday was seeing our entire team getting good enough at rowing that we can have a competitive race in every event."
Columbia takes a week off from competition before heading to Ivy League Championships Sunday, May 19, on the Cooper River in Camden, New Jersey.
