Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University women's rowing team kicked off its 2013 season Saturday by winning four of its five races at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational in Lewisberry, Pa.
The RMU Varsity 8 took home the biggest prize, outlasting four other boats with a time of 7:18.3 to claim the team title. Trailing the Colonials in the Varsity 8 were Franklin & Marshall (7:27.8), The College of New Jersey (7:58.4), St. Mary's College of Maryland (8:11.3) and Richard Stockton College (9:03.6).
"It's always difficult to ask your team to weather tough conditions," head coach Midge McPhail-Burks said. "We had to wade into freezing cold water, but every boat handled it like champions. Our varsity went out and won each race by open water, and they took everything we learned over spring break and applied it today. It's a great way to start the season, and I couldn't be more proud."
The Varsity 8 boat for Robert Morris featured sophomore Laura Mooradian (St. Catharines, Ontario / Denis Morris) as the coxswain, senior Jamie Witsch (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Catholic) as the bow, junior Megan Coleman (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Northgate), sophomores Brianna Hellier (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area), Kelsey Porter (Mount Pleasant, Pa. / Mount Pleasant), Julie Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Catholic) and Heather Hodges (Valencia, Pa. / Mars Area), freshman Caitlin Ryan (Pittsford, N.Y. / Pittsford Sutherland) and sophomore Kristin Fay (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia) as the stroke.
While the Varsity 8 took home a team title, so did the Second Varsity 8. RMU posted a time of 7:50.5 in the event to outdistance host Franklin & Marshall, which pulled in with a time of 8:12.5.
Featured in the Second Varsity 8 boat for Robert Morris were freshman Angelica Tomlinson (Dayton, Ohio / Chaminade-Julienne) as the coxswain and senior Caitlin Mullin (Irwin, Pa. / Penn-Trafford) as the bow.
Also included in the Second Varsity 8 boat for the Colonials were junior Rebecca Cole (Glenville, Pa. / Christian School of York), sophomore Erica Sablofski (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum), freshman Bridget Robinson (Voorhees, N.J. / Eastern), sophomore Cassandra Grafton (Hartstown, Pa. / Jamestown Area), senior Ashley Wright (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland), freshman Samantha Gunn (Buffalo, N.Y. / Holy Angels Academy) and freshman Kelley Bittner (Gibsonia, Pa. / Hampton) as the stroke.
Also winning a team championship at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational was the RMU Varsity 4, which posted a time of 8:10.6 The Colonials defeated the host Diplomats, who posted a time of 8:15.1, as well as the College of New Jersey (8:28.8) and St. Mary's College of Maryland (8:37.8).
Sophomore Caitlin Martin (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Upper St. Clair) served as the coxswain of the Robert Morris Varsity Four, and she was joined by senior Mackenzie Chambers (Auburn Hills, Mich. / Berkley) as the bow, sophomore Althea O'Brien (Sewickley, Pa. / Eden Christian Academy) and Coleman as the stroke.
The Robert Morris Novice 4 also was victorious, finishing over 52 seconds ahead of Franklin & Marshall. The boat featured sophomore Victoria Lomax (Willingboro, N.J. / John W. Hallahan Catholic) as the coxswain, freshman Donna Muschar (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Perry) as the bow, freshmen Rebekah Noorlag (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver County Christian) and Emily Foster (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Trinity) and freshman Paige Oster (Mantua, Ohio / Cuyahoga Valley Christian) as the stroke.
Robert Morris continues its spring campaign Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, by taking part in the Sacred Heart Invitational in Fairfield, Conn.
