WOMEN'S ROWING

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - The University at Buffalo's women's crew team completed the fall portion of the 2002-03 schedule with impressive efforts all around at the Frostbite Regatta in Philadelphia. The Bulls sent six boats into the Schuykill River's waters on Saturday emerging with five first-place finishes in their heats and a second-place showing in the remaining heat.

Saturday's races were the first sprint races of the season for the Bulls. During the fall portion of the schedule, the head races are run. Boats in head races row one at a time from a designated starting point to an end point with times compared to the other boats in the field to determine a winner. The sprint races, like the Frostbite Regatta as well as what the teams will see in the spring, consist of several boats racing against each other at once from a standing start.

The Novice 4 team got things started with a victory in its heat, completing the course in 8:38.01, more than 42 seconds ahead of second-place Lafayette. Overall, the Bulls placed fifth among the 14 entrants with all four boats from the second heat racing faster than UB. LaSalle finished with the fastest time at 7:48.28. UB's entry consisted of coxswain Dawn Kavanaugh (Grand Island, NY/Nardin Academy), stroke seat Maggie Cote (Grosse Ile, MI/Grosse Ile), third seat Joanne Olsen (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna), second seat Bonnie McVicker (Syracuse, NY/C.W. Baker) and bow seat Karen Corey (Kingston, NY/Kingston).

The Bulls had two boats entered in the Novice 8 race with both squads winning their heats. UB's A entry of coxswain Kavanaugh, stroke seat Chandra Hazey (Riverview, MI/Riverview), seventh seat McVicker, sixth seat Olsen, fifth seat Cote, fourth seat Emilee Norris (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga), third seat Kathryn Vossler (Jamestown, NY/Falconer), second seat Corey and bow seat Stephanie Spinella (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) won its heat in 7:46.48, more than 29 seconds ahead of second-place Lafayette. The B entry finished in 8:06.63, nearly 38 seconds ahead of second-place Delaware in its heat. The B boat consisted of coxswain Kaitlin Buchheit (Amherst, NY/Amherst), stroke seat Marla Hardin (Riverview, MI/Riverview), sixth seat Caitlin Logue (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy), fifth seat Bethany Bruce (Fulton, NY/C.W. Baker), fourth seat Georgia Maloney (Cortland, NY/Homer Central), third seat Jennifer Livingston (Eden, NY/Eden) second seat Michelle Heller (Fresh Meadows, NY/Benjamin Cardozo) and bow seat Rachel Simson (Hamburg, NY/Frontier).

UB's Varsity 4 entry won its heat and placed sixth overall among 21 squads. The Bulls' boat, consisting of coxswain Katie Johnson (Kenmore, NY/Holy Angels), stroke seat Jessica Ecke (Ridge, NY/Longwood), third seat Michelle Schwach (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy), second seat Mary Conniff (Camden, NY/Camden) and bow seat Tracy Clarke (Mt. Sinai, NY/Rockford (MI)), finished in 8:31.90. Pennsylvania's C entry finished first in 8:07.72 with the Quaker's top two boats also finishing ahead of the Bulls.

Tara Celestini

In the Varsity 8 competition, the Bulls won one heat and placed second in another to place third and fifth overall among 19 entries. UB's A entry of coxswain Tina LaFountain (Scotia, NY/Burnt Hills), stroke seat Kali Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Sutherland), seventh seat Deanna Knighton (Angola, NY/Lake Shore), sixth seat Kasey Hansen (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima), fifth seat Tara Celestini (St. Catharines, Ontario/Sir Winston Churchill), fourth seat Lauren Dunn (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East), third seat Victoria Kolomiets (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), second seat Sara Sheffer (Ft. Edward, NY/Colonie) and bow seat Clarke raced to a 7:12.56 finish. The B entry of coxswain Johnson, stroke seat Hazey, seventh seat Ecke, sixth seat Schwach, fifth seat Conniff, fourth seat Amy Aldridge (Penfield, NY/Penfield), third seat Jessica Barrell (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy), second seat Margaret Siller (Buffalo, NY/Hutch-Tech) and bow seat Spinella finished in 7:26.33, less than 10 seconds behind heat winner Delaware, who finished in 7:16.50.

With the conclusion of the fall season, the Bulls won't rest however. Indoor training will continue throughout the winter. The spring season's first meet will be March 23 when they travel to Rhode Island for a dual meet competition.