WORCESTER, Mass. (April 28, 2018) – The Franklin Pierce University rowing program finished in third place at the 2018 Northeast-10 Conference Championship Saturday on Lake Quinsigamond.

“Today was the first day the Ravens have raced an 8 at the NE10 Championship” said head coach Sarah Caruthers. “The boat was composed of 1/2 novices and 1/2 Varsity rowers. Although it may not have been our fastest race, it showed our growth and determination to continue to grow as a program in the years ahead.”

The varsity 8+ lineup of senior Grace Walker (Greenfield, Mass.), senior Jenna Chiavelli (Methuen, Mass.), freshman Katrina Wilson (Rindge, N.H.), junior Hannah Eldridge (Whitinsville, Mass.), junior Kellie Crandall (North Stonington, Conn.), junior Kaitlin Morin (Raymond, N.H.), freshman Emalee Frady (Anaheim, Calif.), freshman Nicole McIntosh (North Pole, Alaska) and junior Holly Hay (Miller Place, N.Y.) completed the event in 9:38.437

“We fell shy of our goal today, but it wasn’t without a fight. Our 4+ went out on the water and was aggressive off the start holding onto a good lead up until 750 to go where we started to slip. We are looking to build off of this momentum and continue it at next weekend’s New England Rowing Championships.”

The varsity 4+ team consisted of  Eldridge, junior Shelby Telega (South Deerfield, Mass.), junior Marykate Cullinane (Medford, Mass.), Hay and sophomore Sophia Alexandrou (Windham, N.H.). This boat finished with a time of 9:17.138.

At the end of the day, Coach Caruthers presented the 2018 Coach Award to the 2018 Franklin Pierce Women’s Rowing Team. “If I was to give this award a name, it would be the perseverance award. From where the team was a year ago to where we are today, I couldn’t be more proud of this team. As a team, we have worked hard to redefine what it means to be a student-athlete, to be a teammate, to be a rower, to be a competitor. We have faced numerous challenges and have pushed down those walls.”

“We took our training to a new level and  worked hard to achieve new goals that at one time seemed impossible. We still have a lot of work to do, but the momentum we have built over these past few months is exciting and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. This is a special group and I am so lucky to have them in my first year here at Franklin Pierce.”

The boats head back to the lake next Saturday, May 5th when they race at the New England Rowing Championships in Worcester, Mass.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce rowing apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store). You can also follow the rowing team on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FPURowing/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpurowing/).