WOMEN'S ROWING

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Chandra Hazey

BUFFALO, NY ­ The University at Buffalo swept all four crew races on Saturday as the Bulls hosted squads from Colgate and Bucknell on the Tonawanda Creek and Erie Canal. UB crews won the Varsity 8, Novice 8, Second Varsity 8 and the Lightweight 8 races. Bucknell passed Colgate in the final 300 meters of the Varsity 4 race for the win. UB did not field a crew in the Varsity 4 event.

A beautiful day for racing greeted the competitors as sunny skies, flat water, a modest tailwind and a following current proved to be ideal conditions for the 2,000-meter (2K) course.

UB opened the racing with an easy victory in the Varsity 8 race. UB led from the start and easily defeated crews from Colgate and Bucknell. UB, rowing in the Bill and Carol Greiner, crossed the finish line in 6:09.21 with Colgate second in 6:18.99 and Bucknell third in 6:29.33. UB's lineup consisted of coxswain Sher Briggs (St. Catharines, Ontario/West Park SS), stroke seat Tara Celestini (St. Catharines, Ontario/Sir Winston Churchill), seventh seat Corinne Blum (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Sutherland), sixth seat Kasey Hansen (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima), fifth seat Kali Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Sutherland), fourth seat Deanna Knighton (Angola, NY/Lake Shore), third seat Michelle Schwach (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy), second seat Kat Vossler (Jamestown, NY/Falconer) and bow seat Chandra Hazey (Riverview, MI/Riverview).

Jackie Stone

In the Novice 8 race, UB, racing the Bullets, set the early pace and rolled to a convincing victory over a pair of Bucknell shells. UB won by nearly 13 seconds, the largest margin of the day, finishing the course in 6:32.69 as Bucknell A was second in 6:45.92 and the Bison's B entry was third in 7:10.23. UB's crew included coxswain Margaret Devendorf (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), stroke seat Maggie Fairgrieve (Fort Erie, Ontario/Lakeshore Catholic), seventh seat Paige Baritot (Orchard Park, NY/Buffalo Seminary), sixth seat Mia Pavletic (Grand Rapids, MI/Forest Hills Central), fifth seat Nicole Cyr (Groton, NY/Dryden), fourth seat Jill Harclerode (Portland, OR/Westview), third seat Jackie Stone (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham), second seat Jessica Hughes (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) and bow seat Crystal Byrnes (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Springs).

The closest race of the day was in the Varsity 4 competition as Bucknell and Colgate battled for the entire distance. Colgate led through much of the race before drifting toward the Bucknell boat about 300 meters from home. Bucknell was able to get past the Raiders at this point and take the victory in 7:14.59. Colgate finished in 7:16.91.

Alexis Grates

UB rolled to a nine-second win in the Second Varsity 8 race. The Bulls, rowing the Paul Tokasz, got a strong start and opened up a boat-length lead midway through the race. UB finished in 6:35.32 to Colgate's 6:44.25. The UB entry consisted of coxswain Kaitlin Buchheit (Amherst, NY/Amherst), Hazey in the stroke seat, seventh seat Bonnie McVicker (Syracuse, NY/C.W. Baker), sixth seat Alexis Grates (Fredonia, NY/Fredonia), fifth seat Emilee Norris (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga), fourth seat Lindsey Yonko (Apalachin, NY/Vestal), third seat Joanne Olsen (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna), second seat Stephanie Spinella (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) and bow seat Darcie Bryant (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker).

Caitlin Logue

In the final race of the day, the Bulls remained undefeated in their Lightweight 8 races this season, beating a strong Bucknell squad that had won last season's Dad Vail race in Philadelphia. UB's entry, in the Sheldon Silver shell, held on for a five-second win over the Bison. UB led throughout the race, finally able to open the distance between the two shells in the final 1,000-meters. The UB squad included coxswain Abbie Potts (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg), stroke seat Katie Barnum (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), seventh seat Karen Corey (Kingston, NY/Kingston), sixth seat Beth Gaworecki (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker), fifth seat Caitlin Hambridge (Amherst, NY/Holy Angels), fourth seat Caitlin Logue (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy), third seat Devin Broadwell (Canandaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman), second seat Jacquie Zehler (Alden, NY/Attica) and bow seat Jessica Barrell (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy). The UB lightweight crew has not lost a race in the spring season, defeating Marist in the Clemson Challenge last month and two squads from MIT last weekend in Boston.

Head coach Rudy Wieler was pleased with his team's performance in its lone home meet. "To go 4-for-4 is a coach's dream," he said. "Everyone goes home happy on our coaching staff." He especially praised his Varsity 8 team saying, "It was their best race this season."

The Varsity 8 was down a rower as regular bow-seater Natalie Pugliese (Niagara Falls, Ontario/St. Paul's) was serving as the maid of honor at her sister's wedding. Wieler moved Hazey into the bow seat and was pleased with the results. "I'm very proud of Chandra Hazey. She was in the bow in the Varsity 8 and stroked the Second Varsity 8 to the win," he said.

UB's squads head for Camden, NJ and the Knecht Cup next weekend. At last season's races, UB posted Grand Finals crews in the Varsity 8 and Second Varsity 8 races.

Results

Conditions: Flat water, tailwind 10 mph, following current, 60 degrees

Distance: 2,000-meters (2K)

Varsity 8

1 Buffalo 6:09.21

2 Colgate 6:18.99

3 Bucknell 6:29.33

Novice 8

1 Buffalo 6:32.69

2 Bucknell A 6:45.92

3 Bucknell B 7:10.23

Varsity 4

1 Bucknell 7:14.59

2 Colgate 7:16.91

2nd Varsity 8

1 Buffalo 6:35.32

2 Colgate 6:44.25

Lightweight 8

1 Buffalo 6:34.55

2 Bucknell 6:39.17