ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Wisconsin women's lightweight women's rowing program got a chance to test out the training they've been doing through the first month of the school year on Sunday. Racing at the Head of the Rock regatta on the Rock River, the Badgers liked what they saw.

"Today was a day that really brought out the best in the lightweight program," lightweight coach Dusty Mattison said. "They love to race and they showed that today with being super aggressive coming down the course in all the events that they raced in. Especially the lightweight pair, who won, and then with the eight they came in third behind the openweights."

The duo of Ariel Tallo and Payton James made up the winning pair by clocking a time of 19:32.793 over the 3.2-mile course. That was just under 2.5 seconds faster than the runner-up crew from the Wisconsin openweights.

The Badgers' collegiate eight entry was third among 15 entries, clocking 16:34.797 representing the lightweights. A pair of UW openweight boats took first and second in 16:09.309 and 16:14.407, respectively.

"There is a great friendly competitiveness between the (lightweight and openweight) teams," Mattison said. "There was some bantering back and forth and it is just fun to see them really go after it and really see what they can do against a really fast openweight program. That is definitely what they did today."

The lightweight program also saw its novice eight win the women's collegiate novice eight race. Among the 15 entries, the lightweights crossed the finish line the fastest time of 18:03.903, over a minute faster than second place.

"For the novices, it was just really fun to see the first novice eight come down looking really sharp and winning the whole thing," Mattison stated. "And then the second novice eight again looking really sharp for just having rowed for three or so weeks together and barely going all eights.

"Overall a good day and looking forward to getting in some good training here for the Head of the Charles."

Head of the Rock
Rock River
Rockford, Illinois
Oct. 8, 2017
3.2 miles

Women's Collegiate Pair (10 entries)
1. Wisconsin Lightweights C, 19:32.793; 2. Wisconsin B, 19:35.163; 3. Wisconsin F, 19:37.626; 4. Drake, 19:37.744; 5. Wisconsin Lightweights A, 19:55.639; 6. Wisconsin H (23), 20:06.765; 7. Wisconsin Lightweights E, 20:12.849; 8. Wisconsin G, 20:18.091; 9. Wisconsin D, 20:25.191; 10. Wisconsin I, 20:37.148
UW Lineups

A - Claire Kelley, Abigail Keith
C - Ariel Tallo, Payton James
E - Jacqueline Jones, Shannon Lipe

Women's Open Single Sculls (7 entries)
1. Lincoln Park Boat Club, 19:43.073; 2. Wisconsin Lightweight A, 20:02.772; 3. Lincoln Park Boat Club, 20:44.562; 4. Milwaukee Rowing Club, 20:48.41; 5. Wisconsin (Samantha Harris), 21:42.150; 6. Wisconsin (Emily Wurst), 23:49.314; 7. Mendota, 24:53.312

UW Lineup
A - Kathryne Ruffalo

Women's Collegiate Four (23 entries)
1. Wisconsin E, 17:30.512; 2. Wisconsin C, 17:33.347; 3. Wisconsin A, 17:35.089; 4. Wisconsin G, 17:40.080; 5. Wisconsin Lightweights B, 17:44.114; 6. Wisconsin Lightweights D, 18:17.191; 7. Wisconsin H, 18:19.399; 8. Drake, 18:34.384; 9. Wisconsin Lightweights F, 18:40.764

UW Lineup
B - Coxswain Anika Chatterjee, Abigail Keith, Brianna Wynne, Ariel Tallo, Jacqueline Jones
D - Coxswain Lucy Tasker, Shannon Lipe, Marilyn Garberg, Janet Titzler, Rachel Illgen
F - Coxswain Rachel Schwarz, Claire Kelley, Brianna Ohm, Payton James, Mirha Girt

Women's Collegiate Eight (15 entries)
1. Wisconsin A, 16:09.309; 2. Wisconsin C, 16:14.407; 3. Wisconsin Lightweights B (814), 16:34.797; 4. Wisconsin D, 17:23.182; 5. Drake, 17:55.453
UW Lineup

B - Coxswain Anika Chatterjee, Kathryne Ruffalo, Marilyn Garberg, Brianna Wynne, Mirha Girt, Janet Titzler, Rachel Illgen, Grace Joyce, Brianna Ohm

Women's Collegiate Novice Eight (15 entries)
1. Wisconsin Lightweights B, 18:03.903; 2. Wisconsin E, 19:11.488; 3. Drake, 19:20.780; 4. Wisconsin A, 19:46.747; 5. Wisconsin D, 20:15.730…; 8. Wisconsin C, 21:23.124

Women's Collegiate Novice Four (10 entries)
1. Wisconsin (154), 18:35.248; 2. Northwestern, 19:33.042; 3. Purdue, 19:42.352; 4. MSOE, 19:52.064; 5. St. Louis, 20:47.646