WORCESTER -- Buoyed by three first-place finishes, Wellesley claimed the 2023 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Rowing Championship, as well as the Florence Jope Smith Cup on Saturday at the Donahue Rowing Center on Lake Quinsigamond.
The Blue repeated as champions after winning in 2022 and have now captured the conference title for the 10th time in the last 11 years and the 11th time in program history. With the win, Wellesley earns the NEWMAC's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship at Camden County Boathouse in Pennsauken, NJ running May 26-27.
Wellesley won the top three race categories, capturing the first varsity eight race with a time of 6:42.7. WPI (6:46.63) was 3.93 seconds off the pace with Smith (6:50.41) in third in the premiere race. Coast Guard (6:56.27) and Clark (6:56.66) were neck-in-neck in fifth and sixth, while Simmons (8:07.98) took seventh.
The tightest race of the day came in the second varsity eight event with Wellesley clipping second-place WPI, 6:57.50 to 6:59.84, a difference of just 2.34 seconds. Smith took third in 7:06.20 with Clark in fourth at 7:09.70), while Coast Guard (7:28.59) and Mount Holyoke (7:30.47) rounded out the field.
Wellesley came out on top in the third varsity eight competition, with its time of 7:05.00 surpassing second-place Smith (7:10.69) by 5.69 seconds. WPI was third in 7:26.43 and Coast Guard took fourth in 7:40.15. Clark (7:50.74) and Mount Holyoke (8:28.87) wrapped up the race.
In the final competition, the fourth varsity race, Smith won a head-to-head race against Wellesley, out-dueling the Blue 7:14.50 to 7:27.87.
In the conference championship standings which accounts for points in the varsity eight and second varsity eight boats, Wellesley earned 45 points to take first place, while 2021 champion WPI was second with 40 points. Smith (35) and Coast Guard (28) were third and fourth and were followed by Clark (27), Mount Holyoke (20), and Simmons (15).
The Blue also nabbed the Florence Jose Smith Cup, awarded annually to the school with the highest number of points from the overall results at the event. Wellesley, which has now won the overall points award for 10 consecutive championships, finished first with 40 points followed by Smith with 32 points and WPI with 30. Coast Guard (18), Clark (16), Mount Holyoke (8), and Simmons (2) rounded out the final standings.
Wellesley took home both major awards, as Anneka Hallstrom (Ann Arbor, MI) was selected as the conference's Rower of the Year, and Bella Santos (West Hartford, CT) was tabbed as the conference's Coxswain of the Year.
Joining Hallstrom and Santos on the All-Conference first team were Wellesley teammates Emma Anghel (Windham, ME) and Anya Hanitchak (Andover, MA). WPI placed three on the first team in Caitlin Kean (Shrewsbury, MA), Maren Cork (Seattle, WA), and Lilly Earley (Wellesley, MA), while Smith's Julia Batson (Brainbridge Island, WA) and Megan Holm (Flagstaff, AZ ) rounded out the top squad.
On the second team were Hali Hanley (Culver, IN) and Maddie Kirwin (Galena, OH) from Coast Guard, Charlotte Bedford (Etna, NH) and Emma McLellan (Avon, CT) of Clark, Jocelyn Greer (Athens, NY) and Emma Waldron (Pittsburgh, PA) of Mount Holyoke, Samantha Merrow (Gilbert, AZ) and Dalila Marzialo (Tolland, CT) from Simmons, and Sofia Trotta (Guilford, CT) of Smith.
Results
Varsity Eight
1. Wellesley - 6:42.70
2. WPI - 6:46.63
3. Smith - 6:50.41
4. Coast Guard - 6:56.27
5. Clark - 6:56.66
6. Mount Holyoke - 7:08.44
7. Simmons - 8:07.98
Second Varsity Eight
1. Wellesley - 6:57.50
2. WPI - 6:59.84
3. Smith - 7:06.20
4. Clark - 7:09.70
5. Coast Guard - 7:28.59
6. Mount Holyoke - 7:30.47
Third Varsity Eight
1. Wellesley - 7:05.00
2. Smith - 7:10.69
3. WPI - 7:26.43
4. Coast Guard - 7:40.15
5. Clark - 7:50.74
6. Mount Holyoke - 8:28.87
Fourth Varsity Eight
1. Smith - 7:14.50
2. Wellesley - 7:27.87
The Engineers are back on the water next weekend, competing in the New England Championships on Lake Quinsigamond on Saturday.
Varsity Eight
Logan Rinaldi (Rumford, RI) - coxswain
Maren Cork (Seattle, WA)
Megan Tupaj (Amherst, NH)
Maggie Kirwan (Wolfeboro, NH)
Lilly Earley (Candia, NH)
Caitlin Kean (Shrewsbury, MA)
Alexa Freglette (Staten Island, NY)
Jules Prisco (Pelham, NY)
Kathryn Woodland (Boxford, MA)
Second Varsity Eight
Emily Howard (Riverside, RI) - coxswain
Caroline Jaeger (Fort Montgomery, NY)
Samantha Arroyas (Uxbridge, MA)
Nicole Miller (Hanover, MA)
Madison Gass (Barrington, NH)
Abigail Poole (Albany, NY)
Isabel Nearing (Cochecton, NY)
Sofia Eckerson (Derry, NH)
Sunny Kang (Brookline, MA)
Third Varsity Eight
Jaya Mills (Wayland, MA) - coxswain
Malyssa Deranian (Windham, NH)
Mara DeCesare (East Greenwich, RI)
Skyler Dooley (Madison, CT)
Eleanor Brown (Vassalboro, ME)
Calista Carrignan (West Haven, CT)
Leah Johnson (Bridgewater, MA)
Ryan Dillon (Rutland, MA)
Ilyssa Delizo (New City, NY)
Results
