BOSTON – In the first big race of the fall season, the Wisconsin women's rowing team had a pair of strong finishes at the Head of the Charles on the Charles River in Boston on Sunday.
 
Wisconsin got a top-eight finish in the championship eight race, followed by a fourth-place finish in the lightweight eight race in the second day of the two-day event.

"All of our boats raced very well. We have a lot of work to do, and now we have a little bit better idea of exactly what that work is," head coach Bebe Bryans said. "But we were pretty pleased with the performances on the day. They showed up to race and they raced their best. That's what we asked of them and that's what they did."
 
In the championship eight race, the Wisconsin boat of coxswain Lily Hanson, Maddie Wanamaker, Maria Schmid, Gillian Cooper, Sophia Vitas, Hannah Schwartz, Claire Scott, Margo Grover and Brianna Dahm finished eighth in a time of 16:50.357. That race featured 32 total boats, including some of the top finishers from last spring's NCAA championship, California and Virginia.
 
Cal took the top spot in 15:58.626, while Brown and Virginia rounded out the top three. UW was the second-fastest Big Ten boat in the race, finishing less than a second behind Michigan. The eighth-place finish for the Badgers was an improvement of one spot from last year's finish at the regatta.
 
Then in the final race of the event, which is in its 51st year, Wisconsin churned out a fourth-place finish in the lightweight eight. The UW boat consisting of coxswain Audrey Dalgarno, Gabriela Purman, Helena Randle, Mackenzie Whiteside, Julia Glueck, Katie Ruffalo, Mirha Girt, Brianna Wynne and Jenn Whitehill crossed the line in 17:25.390.
 
"I'm very proud of how the lightweights performed today," lightweight coach Dusty Mattison said. "They executed the best possible performance, which was the goal. They were able to stay relaxed and confident in less than ideal conditions. The results are encouraging and give us something to stay focused on as we transition into the winter season."

Minerva took top honors in the lightweight eight, with Radcliffe and Boston University occupying the other spots in front of Wisconsin.
 
UW also had an alumni race at the Head of the Charles, as Samantha Brecht took 13th place out of 21 boats in the lightweight singles in a time of 21:56.133. Brecht graduated from Wisconsin in 2014.
 
UW will be back on the water in two weeks when they head to the Devil's Head at Devils Lake on Oct. 31.
 
Head of the Charles
Oct. 18, 2015
Charles River
Boston
3 miles
 
Championship Eights (32 entries)
1. California, 15:58.626; 2. Brown, 16:23.350; 3. Virginia, 16:24.176; 4. Princeton, 16:29.78; 5. Yale, 16:40.069; 6. Syracuse, 16:48.380; 7. Michigan, 16:49.478; 8. Wisconsin, 16:50.357; 9. Iowa, 16:53.287; 10. Michigan State, 16:53.764
 
UW lineup
Coxswain Lily Hanson, Maddie Wanamaker, Maria Schmid, Gillian Cooper, Sophia Vitas, Hannah Schwartz, Claire Scott, Margo Grover, Brianna Dahm
 
Lightweight Eights (9 entries)
 1. Minerva, 16:39.276; 2. Radcliffe, 17:15.308; 3. Boston University, 17:15.835; 4. Wisconsin, 17:25.390; 5. Princeton, 17:29.134; 6. MIT, 18:06.163; 7. Radcliffe B, 18:38.096; 8. Boston University B, 18:49.364; 9. MIT B, 19:48.774.
 
UW lineup
Coxswain Audrey Dalgarno, Gabriela Purman, Helena Randle, Mackenzie Whiteside, Julia Glueck, Katie Ruffalo, Mirha Girt, Brianna Wynne, Jenn Whitehill


Club Fours (63 entries)
1. Potomac, 19:01.087; 2. Clemson, 19:01.267; 3. Thames, 19:20.529; 4. Wisconsin, 19:20.771; 5. Boston University, 19:22.187; 6. TBC Racing, 19:22.286; 7. Edmonton, 19:27.071; 8. Lincoln Park Boat Club, 19:29.913; 9. Temple, 19:36.667; 10. Marist, 19:44.786.

UW lineup
Coxswain Saylor Martin, Renee Olley, Alicia Evans, Alison Morrison, Sarah Roe