Temple University Athletics
Junior Varsity 8 Advances To Grand Final At Dad Vail Regatta
5.12.07 | Women's Rowing
May 12, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple women's crew team ended a solid weekend at the 69th Dad Vail Regatta Saturday on the Schuylkill River with its Junior Varsity 8 advancing to the Grand Final. The men's crew team won two gold medals, but its 20th-ranked Varsity 8 came up short in its quest for a 21st Dad Vail title.
The JV 8 comprised of Jennifer Azeles (coxswain), Lauren Fattori (stroke),Nicole Wagner (7), Jessica Hermann (6) Brittany Sugden (5), Carolyn Bailey (4), Laura Scullin (3), Kate Guth (2) and Laura Altimari (bow) advanced to the Grand Final where it placed sixth.
The Owls Varsity 8 comprised of Jillian Ploof (coxswain), Stephanie Hanlin (stroke), Colleen Sullivan (7), Bailey Chick (6), Rachel Jordan (5), Leah Silverstein (4), Amelia Mango (3), Anne Mikolajewski (2) and Amanda Barr (bow) placed fifth in its semifinal heat.
"All four of the boats we entered (in the Dad Vail Regatta) rowed extremely well and posted their fastest times of the season," said Temple women's crew coach Tim Hagan.. "With the Varsity 8 we finished a place better than last year and that is an improvement. Our 2nd 8 turned in a tremendous effort to get to the Grand Final."
The men's freshman/novice 4 and JV 8 boats claimed gold medals which propelled the Owls to a second place overall finish in the men's standings with 21 points. Purdue won the Dr. Thomas Kerr Men's Point Trophy with 25 points.
"To be second in the point totals means we did a pretty good job," said Temple head men's crew coach Gavin White. "If we won the Varsity 8 we would have tied and that would have been special, but I have never put much stock in the point trophy because from year to year no one remembers who won the point trophy, but they will remember who won the Varsity 8."
The Varsity 8 crew, comprised of freshman Patrick Curran (stroke), junior Robert Protesto (7), senior Dante Cammarata (6), junior James Harding (5), senior Peter Gostling (4), junior Nick Vlahos (3), junior Thomas Haubrich (2), junior Don Powers (bow) and junior Rory Roberts (coxswain). seemed to be doomed from the start as Purdue jumped out early and never let up.
"We were never in it really," White explained. "After the first 30 strokes they (Purdue) took a move and took off. They got out to a full length lead and by the bridge they were open water ahead. We took some attacks and kept moving back into them the best we could but when you are in a lead like that you watch the other crew and every time they make a move you counter. It was a very bright race strategy on their part, to get us down early. Purdue just rowed a brilliant race."
The Owls held off challenges from third place, Florida Tech, and 2006 gold-medalist Marietta (4th place) to win silver medals.
"I do not know if we had a bad race or Purdue had a great race," White said. "I suspect it was a little bit of both. In my opinion we were not far enough ahead of the third or fourth place crews that we had seen already this year and had beaten much worse than that."
"I was disappointed in the outcome, not the effort," White told the Varsity 8 following the race. "They worked hard and gave me everything they had. They did exactly what they were told to do. If anything I let them down."
The men's JV 8, comprised of Sam Cunningham (stroke), Timothy Malloy (7), Bill Gennaro (6), Matt Hanlin (5), Cyrus Haines (4), Joseph Welsh (3), Chris Bushek (2), Chris Schwartz (bow) and Thomas Goldner (coxswain) bested second place Lehigh by five seconds to win the Ernie Bayer Trophy.
The men's freshman/novice 4 of Tom Masterson (stroke), Pat Welsh (3), Brendan Cunningham (2) and Scott Herring (bow) easily won the Lindy Cup, beating second place Ohio State by nearly eight seconds.
The Owls' pair of Brendan Uhll and Eric Alexander placed fourth in their semifinal heat.
"That was a good thing and it is something to build on as there are a few kids in that freshman boat that will help us next year," said White on the gold medal crews. "And the kids in the pair will help us as well. We will be continue to be good."
