Bulls Claim Second Straight Seitz Trophy; Tie For Jack Bratten Trophy

UB has two first place finishes to win overall points title at Dad Vail Regatta

Britt Marshall

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The University at Buffalo rowing team capped of its most successful season in program history as it claimed its second straight Jack and Nancy Seitz Trophy as the overall women’s point champions of the Dad Vail Regatta. The Bulls also tied for the Jack Bratten Trophy, which is given to the overall point champions combing both the men and the women. What makes that feat even more impressive is that no Buffalo men’s crew made the finals on Saturday. For the first time in program history the Bulls had two winning boats, as well as a second place finish and a fourth place finish.

Unlike last season where the Bulls won the title despite no first place finishes, the 2009 Bulls won the Coleman D. Boylan Trophy as winners of the Junior Varsity Eight and they also won the Frosh/Novice Eight Final. The Bulls finished with 30 points, winning the Jack and Nancy Seitz Trophy in comfortable fashion over second place Grand Valley State, who finished with 18 points. The 30 points by the Bulls also tied them for the Jack Bratten trophy with Delaware, who registered 30 points combined between its men’s and women’s crews.

“This was a fantastic day for the University at Buffalo,” said head coach Rudy Wieler. “Last year was a great victory, but it is even more satisfying coming back and defending your title when you have the target on your back. Yesterday when I brought the trophy back, I knew it wouldn’t be gone from us for long.”

The Junior Varsity Eight boat of coxswain Britt Marshall, Kate Garofalo, Amanda Garbacz, Lindsay DiCosimo, Francisca Nwoke, Brittany Ronald, Alana Sharpe, Megan Bayley and Patricia Arcuri was the only boat to finish in under seven minutes as UB clocked in at 6:58.09 to finish first. San Diego was second in the race at 7:01.61. UB’s Junior Varsity Eight boat has now won the Coleman D. Boylan trophy in two of the last three years.

Jacklyn Postulka

Also finishing first was the Frosh/Novice Eight boat, which UB won for the second time in program history, doing so in 2005. The boat of coxswain Tarynn Weightman, Stephanie Szymanski, Samantha Barrett, Dakota Smith, Jacklyn Postulka, Megan Mills, Rebecca Rayter, Rachel Cuthbert and Elizabeth Sandy finished in 7:19.21, which was just over a second ahead of fellow CAA member Old Dominion. The Bulls also defeated UConn, Temple, Drexel and St. Jospeh’s in the race.

UB’s Varsity Eight boat had its best finish with a second place finish in the quest for the Evelyn Bergman Trophy. The boat of coxswain Alison Sheehan, Lauren Sexton, Melina DiCosimo, Tara Rudkoski, Bridget Yannes, Ashley Hanhurst, Sasha Bailey, Sam Masucci and Cathleen Streicher finished in 6:45.22, which was just four seconds behind Grand Valley State. UB did defeat St. Joseph’s, San Diego, Drexel and Purdue.

Alison Sheehan

Also competing today was the Lightweight Eight boat which finished in fourth place in the grand final. The Bulls finished just two seconds out of third and beat crews from Lafayette and Georgia Tech.

“I am extremely proud of this team and the things that we accomplished this weekend,” said Wieler. “To win two races and have a second and fourth place finish against some of the top crews in the country is a testament to our kids and how hard they worked this season to make sure that we would repeat as champions.”