Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics. Members of MHC Rowing stated that the team environment adds to their enjoyment of the sport.
By Genevieve Zahner ’26
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Rowing competed in a regatta on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester County, Massachusetts, on Saturday, April 15, against Clark University, Connecticut College, the University of Rochester, Pacific Lutheran University, Washington College, Williams College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Mount Holyoke’s first of three varsity eight-boat lineups included Meghan French ’24, Liv Romanowsky ’25, Jocelyn Greer ’23, Jill Slatch’25, Piper LaPointe ’23, Gwyn Munroe ’26, Emma Waldron ’24 and Lilla Carroll ’25 with Miranda Hull ’25 as the coxswain. With a time of 7:09.72, this boat achieved second place out of four boats in its first 2,000-meter race ahead of Washington and Pacific Lutheran, but behind Clark. This finish allowed the Lyons to advance to the Grand Final, where they placed fifth out of five other competing boats after clocking a time of 7:36.31.
The second varsity eight-boat was made up of Annika Smart ’25, Máire Kettner ’26, Piper Davidson ’26, Elsa Kulatunga ’26, Ava Rawlings ’26, Clay Halpern ’26, Caroline Odlin-Brewer ’24 and Mack Windus ’24 with Jen Butler ’25 as the coxswain. In the morning heat, this boat placed third out of four with a time of 7:48.13, finishing in front of Pacific Lutheran and behind Clark and Washington. This boat advanced to the Petite Final in the late morning and placed second out of three with a time of 8:05.14, 3.88 seconds behind Connecticut College and ahead of Pacific Lutheran, which Mount Holyoke surpassed by 47.34 seconds.
Butler spoke on the conditions of the race, as well as the team environment.
“The weather was beautiful, cool in the morning with blue skies, and the competitive energy between boats was just electric,” they said. “To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of rain, cold weather or waking up early, but my crewmates make all of those things worth it to me.”
Kettner agreed about the team environment, stating, “Whether on the water, training or spending time doing fun events, [Mount Holyoke Rowing] has made me feel welcome [and] supported and helped [me feel] that I am an essential part of the team.”
Mount Holyoke’s third and final boat consisted of Emmy McCormack ’26, Dina Markovich-Koyfman ’24, Holly Wrampelmeier ’26, Avni Vallab ’26, Evelyn Griffin ’26, Abby Files ’25, Zoe Wolfel ’23 and Leyla Guven ’26 with Dara Weingarten ’24 as the coxswain. This boat competed against Clark and came in second at 8:19.27.
Mount Holyoke Rowing will next compete on Saturday, April 22, at Lake Quinsigamond to face off against Assumption College and the Coast Guard Academy.