PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The West Virginia rowing team’s novice four claimed first at the Knecht Cup on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J., to earn BIG EAST Boat of the Week honors.
The crew of coxswain Morgan Leach, Sara Olenich, Danika Rencken, Jessica Hurlbert and Christine Mehrtens had not rowed together until the first heat at the Knecht Cup and managed to win the event against 41 teams. The Mountaineers won their heat by 13 seconds, coming in at a time of 8:53.85. After finishing second in the semifinal heat, the crew claimed first in the grand final, beating second-place Massachusetts by three seconds with a time of 8:21.49. The WVU boat came from behind in the final, after being down by as much as one length. The Mountaineers drew even in the race in the third 500, before taking a 2/3-length lead after the 1,500-meter mark.
The next BIG EAST Boat of the Week award will be announced on April 20.
