Camden, N.J. - The Robert Morris University rowing team opened the 2008 spring portion of its schedule, April 12, by competing at the Knecht Cup on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. The Colonials competed in three races, with the varsity four finishing fourth, the varsity eighth fifth and the novice eight fourth.  

In the varsity four, RMU crossed the finish line with a time of 8:42.20 in heat four, trailing only Rochester (8:02.80), Loyola (8:23.10) and UMass (8:26.40).

The boat consisted of freshman coxswain Samantha Craig (Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley), junior Michelle Franchi (King of Prussia, Pa. / Upper Merion), senior Aubrey DiVito (Clinton, Pa. / South Side), junior Stephanie Elder (North Canton, Ohio / Hoover) and freshman Michelle Beamer (Butler, Pa. / Knoch).   

Franchi and DiVito were also part of the varsity eight boat that posted a time of 7:15.30 to finish fifth and trailed only Rhode Island (6:50.00), Connecticut (6:53.80), North Carolina (6:56.40) and Lehigh (7:05.70).

Junior Liz Balliett (Latrobe, Pa. / Latrobe) served as the coxswain and she was joined in the boat by Franchi, junior Becky Stemm (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Pinnacle), sophomore Megan Ivins (Souderton, Pa. / Pennridge), junior Allison Lucas (Freeport, Pa. / Freeport), sophomore Heidi Young (Guys Mills, Pa. / Maplewood), junior Jackie Aldworth (King of Prussia, Pa. / Upper Merion), DiVito and senior Jen Black (Frewsburg, Pa. / Frewsburg Central).   

The novice eight placed fourth in heat one thanks to a time of 7:38.60, finishing ahead of Haverford (8:59.00) and Penn State (9:01.40). UMass topped heat one with a time of 7:13.10.

Junior Julie Nelson (Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell) served as coxswain of a boat that also consisted of freshmen Nicole Spellman (Wexford, Pa. / North Allegheny), Jessica Ganter (Valencia, Pa. / Mars Area), Kelsey Dennis (Doylestown, Pa. / Central Bucks East), Mandy Fierens (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Hampton) and Amber Noorlag (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver County Christian), sophomore Elaine DiClaudio (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bethel Park) and freshmen Vanessa Pappas (Mars, Pa. / Mars Area) and Dana Spellman (Wexford, Pa. / North Allegheny). 

Robert Morris is next in action Saturday, April 19, when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., to take part in the Thomas Kerr Cup Regatta.