May 8, 2005

Amherst, Mass. - The UMass women's rowing team captured the ECAC Championship for the third consecutive year, winning the varsity eight competition and in the process set the course record at Regatta Point State Park in Worcester. . UMass won the race with a time of 6:33.69.

Boston College (6:40.77) was second, followed by Colgate (6:42.27), San Diego (6:43.98), Rhode Island (6:46.45), and Villanova (6:56.32).

The UMass winning varsity eight boat included Ellen Maskrey (Pittsburgh, Penn.), Lea Jakobsen (Copenhagen, Denmark), Gabrielle Papineau (Ottawa, Ontario), Hannah Brewster (Plymouth, Mass.), Stephanie Hopf (Hadley, Mass.), Katie Berger (Amherst, N.H.), Faith Harkins (Marion, Mass.), Catherine Gariepy (Lorraine, Quebec), and coxswain Kristina Ferraro (Columbus, Ohio).

The lighweight eight finished fourth in its race with a time of 7:44.57. Ohio State won the event (7:03.96). Marist was second and Villanova was third.

The lightweight eight consisted of Tracy Altamura (Lake Mary, Fla.), Melissa Kelly (Halifax, Mass.), Abby Lively (Rowe, Mass.), Heather Harrington (Concord, Mass.), Maria Arcari (Clifton Park, N.Y.), Jackie Burgoyne (Vineyard Haven, Mass.), Kaitlyn Wolk (Sarasota, Fla.), Kara Linnehan (Springfield, Mass.), and coxswain Mary Horan (Brookline, Mass.)

The junior varsity, varsity four, and novice races were all cancelled due to inclement weather. The novice boat rowed in one heat and finished second to Villanova.

This concludes the season for the UMass women's rowing team. In addition to winning the ECAC Championship for the second straight season, the Minutewomen won the Atlantic 10 Championship for the tenth time in a row.