WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The University of Notre Dame claimed its ninth-straight BIG EAST Women’s Rowing Championship title Sunday on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. Notre Dame totaled 111 points to edge second-place Syracuse by 14 points. The Irish have taken home every BIG EAST women’s rowing title since 2004, giving the team the longest current active streak of BIG EAST Championship titles in any sport.
The Irish claimed first in four of five scoring events including the second varsity four, third varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity eight. Notre Dame’s varsity eight crew of coxswain Abby Meyers, Joanna Poinsette, Stephanie O’Neill, Olivia Kacsits, Erin McConnell, Erin Boxberger, Ailish Sheehan, Courtney Gaberino and Morgan Kelley won the varsity eight Grand Final with a time of 6:31.72. The crew defeated second place Syracuse by 2.3 seconds. The Irish placed three athletes on the first team All-BIG EAST team, including Olivia Kacsits, Morgan Kelly and Stephanie O’Neill. The Notre Dame coaching staff, headed by Martin Stone was named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, as voted on by the conference’s eight coaches.
Syracuse finished in second place, scoring 97 points. The Syracuse varsity four team claimed the BIG EAST Championship crown with a time of 7:29.90 to top Notre Dame by 1.5 seconds. The crew included coxswain Kristina Herb, Amy Ludavicci, Ashley Marsh, Laura Adams and Gina Biascochea. Syracuse also placed second in three scoring events, including the third varsity eight, second varsity eight and the varsity eight.
Louisville placed third in the team standings with 87 points. The Cardinals claimed second in the second varsity four, finishing in a time of 8:00.45. Georgetown rounded out the top four with 69 points.
Final Team Standings
1. Notre Dame, 111 points
2. Syracuse, 97 points
3. Louisville, 87 points
4. Georgetown, 69 points
5. Connecticut, 60 points
6. Rutgers, 55 points
7. West Virginia, 54 points
8. Villanova, 30 points
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Andriel Doolittle, Connecticut
Lindsey Bragg, Georgetown
Kayla Cook, Georgetown
Erin Bennett, Louisville
Morgan Dunham, Louisville
Erin Boxberger, Notre Dame
Courtney Gaberino, Notre Dame
Alish Sheehan, Notre Dame
Katie Quinn, Rutgers
Emma Karpowicz, Syracuse
Tiffany Macon, Syracuse
All-BIG EAST First Team
Mary Grace Haggett, Connecticut
Sydney Leguyader, Georgetown
Ellen Fawcett, Louisville
Olivia Kacsits, Notre Dame
Morgan Kelly, Notre Dame
Stephanie O’Neill, Notre Dame
Katherine Geithman, Rutgers
Maggie McCrudden, Syracuse
Alison Todd, Syracuse
Kelly Kruppenbacker, Villanova
Courtney Schrand, West Virginia
Coaching Staff of the Year
Notre Dame
