Marietta women's crew opens fall season at Challenge on the Canal
Pioneers take fourth in the varsity eight and sixth in both the varsity four and second varsity eight

Oct. 4, 2008
GENEVA, N.Y. — The Marietta College women's crew, led by Head Coach Kelly Harris, opened its fall racing season by competing in three head race events at the Challenge on the Canal, hosted by Hobart and William Smith College, on the Seneca-Cayuga Canal Saturday (Oct. 4). The Pioneer women finished fourth in the varsity eight race and took sixth in both the varsity four and second varsity eight races.

Marietta's varsity eight, which sat freshman stroke Kelli Barnette (Parkersburg, W.Va./South), freshman Elizabeth Bratton (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Basil Academy), senior Amanda Chuderewicz (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area), junior Caitlin Piotrowski (Dublin/Dublin Jerome), sophomore Brooke Exley (Phoenixville, Pa.), sophomore Megan Stuhlfauth (Hainesport, N.J./Merion Mercy Academy), sophomore Katherine Thomas (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area), senior bow Anjouli Dapice (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) and senior coxswain Shauna Payne (Huron), finished its first race of the year in 17:41. Ithaca won the race in 16:33, while Rochester (17:02) took second and William Smith (17:06) was third.

The Pioneers' varsity four, which featured stroke Chuderewicz, Piotrowski, Barnette, bow Bratton and coxswain Payne, completed its race in 19:35. William Smith placed first in the race, crossing the line in 18:34, while Rochester "A" finished in 18:42 and Rochester "B" finished in 19:07 to take second and third, respectively.

Marietta's second varsity eight, which included three novices rowers and a freshman coxswain, place sixth in its field after crossing the line in 19:55. The shell sat sophomore stroke Lauren Yanko (Akron/Archbishop Hoban), senior Krista Tkacz (Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.), sophomore Michelle Tarracciano (Williston, Vt./Champlain Valley Union), sophomore Jazmine Edwards (Cincinnati/Country Day), sophomore Shataya Spriggs (Boston, Mass./Codman Academy Charter), freshman Devin Dingus (Willamsburg/Western Brown), sophomore bow Miki Abitante (Columbia, Md./Atholton) and freshman coxswain Sara McDaniel (Laura/Milton-Union). Rochester won the second varsity eight race with a time of 17:04. William Smith (17:35) was second, and Ithaca "B" (18:12) third.

"Overall, it was a good weekend," said Harris. "Facing mostly NCAA Division III schools put everyone on a similar playing field with the restrictions on our fall season. We have a very young squad with a lot of potential. We will use some seat racing this week to try to help us increase our speed before the next competition."

Marietta will return to action on Sunday (Oct. 12) when the Pioneers' varsity team travels to Rochester, N.Y., for the Head of the Genesee.