By Andrew Lichtenauer
Writer
Seven women’s rowing boats competed in four different events at the Head of the Schuylkill this past weekend in Philadelphia, Pa. Two more Bison eights were supposed to row in the championship eight race, but the regatta was cut short because of inclement weather.
In the novice eight event, the Bison placed all four of the boats they entered in the top 20 of the 28-boat field. The women’s “A” boat was the top finisher for the Bison, placing third behind Penn and Drexel.
The Bison open four boat placed 27th in a 38-boat field. In the open single, Gabriella Fleming-Shemer ’14 came in ninth of 16 and Caitlin Vogelsang ’12 came in seventh of 11 in the lightweight single.
Although spring is the most important season for the Bison, this fall’s results have given the team confidence going into the spring.
“It is hard to predict how we will perform in the spring, but competing in the fall definitely added a little extra motivation to work harder from the start. It’s also great for the freshmen to get a taste of racing in the fall instead of having to wait until spring,” Vogelsang said.
Navy will once again be the Bison’s toughest competition for the Patriot League title in the spring. In last year’s Patriot League Championship, the Bison beat Navy by a slim margin to claim their sixth straight Patriot League title. Earlier this fall at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the varsity eight came in 29th of 37, beating out Navy by three positions.
“It’s great that our eight beat Navy at the Head of the Charles, but it probably gives Navy more motivation to work hard to beat us in the spring. I think the whole team knows it will take a lot of hard work to win a seventh-straight Patriot League title,” Vogelsang said.
The Head of the Schuylkill marked the end of the fall season for the Orange and Blue. The Bison will resume competition in the spring with the championship portion of their schedule, where they will be aiming for a seventh consecutive Patriot League Championship title.