Worcester, Mass. -- With the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships looming, Wisconsin women's lightweight crew took to Lake Quinsigamond to defend their Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges (EAWRC) Championship. At the end of Sunday's competition, UW had retained its title, winning three of their four races and defeating Boston University by one point.

"Today was a very special day for the team!" head coach Dusty Mattison said. "We are excited to bring the Konrad Ulbrich team points trophy back to Madison for another year. We could not have done it without the whole team having solid races."

Varsity Lightweight Eight
 The varsity lightweight eight placed third with a time of 7:04.99, behind first-place Boston University (6:54.57) and second-place Princeton (7:00.95).

"The varsity eight had a good race, but not their best," Mattison noted. "Last weekend the start was the shining element of our races and today it was more the ending sprint. They were down on the field off the start, but compared to previous years, they didn't let it frazzle them. That shows maturity. Then it looked like they made up some ground in the last 500 meters, which means we have the fitness and fight. Now we just need to work on putting it all together. That's what these next several weeks will be about."

Third Varsity Eight
The freshmen UW squad took first in the third varsity eight, clocking in with a time of 7:27.74, while Boston University took second with a time of 7:32.62 and Harvard-Radcliffe took third with a finish of 7:50.40.

"The freshmen started out the day right by leading the field start to finish in the 3V8," Mattison stated. "Their commanding win really made a statement of how deep our team really is. It is exciting to think about them adding to the speed of the team next year when they can continue to build off of this year's success. Karly Laney should be so proud of her freshmen!"

Varsity Lightweight Double
The duo of Shannon Lipe and Mariliyn Garberg edged out Princeton in the lightweight double, as the two Badgers took first with a time of 8:21.51 to the Tigers 8:22.95. Boston University's A boat took third with a mark of 8:45.64.

"The double came together right before we left Madison and we had a feeling they were going to do something great," Mattison said. "Their maturity showed during the race as they settled into a relaxed yet aggressive base pace. Even when Princeton started to press on them, they answered by remaining calm and staying within themselves. I know it was fun for them to win the inaugural double event here at Sprints. We are so proud of them."

Varsity Lightweight Four
Wisconsin had two boats compete in the varsity lightweight four, with boat A taking the first-place finish, marking at 7:53.92, and boat B placing sixth with a finish of 8:14.90. Princeton took second with a time of 8:06.56, while Georgetown A took third, finishing 2000 meters in 8:09.24.

"The fours event was a really exciting one," Mattison exclaimed. "Georgetown's "B" boat had an amazing start and was up on the field for a bit. Our "A" boat was all the way on the other side of the course so were able to do their thing and methodically moved into the lead. They are an extremely aggressive crew that has great confidence in their abilities. They kept that with them all the way down the course as they continued to pull away. They were amazing to watch."

Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges Championships (Eastern Sprints)
April 29, 2018
Worcester, Mass.
Lake Quinsigamond
2000 meters

Konrad Ulbrich Team Trophy Standings
1. Wisconsin, 41; 2. Boston University, 40; 3. Princeton, 39; 4. Georgetown, 23; 5. Harvard-Radcliffe, 22

Lightweight Varsity Eight - Grand Final
1. Boston University, (6:54.56), 2. Princeton, (7:00.95), 3. Wisconsin, (7:04.99), 4. Georgetown, (7:07.53), 5. Harvard-Radcliffe, (7:08.38)
UW Lineup: Coxswain Anika Chatterjee, Agathe Denis, Brianna Wynne, Grace D'Souza, Jennifer Whitehill, Grace Joyce, Brianna Ohm, Kathryne Ruffalo, Rachel Illgen

Lightweight Third Varsity Eight - Grand Final
1. Wisconsin Freshmen, (7:27.74), 2. Boston University, (7:32.62), 3. Harvard-Radcliffe, (7:50.39), 4. Princeton, (7:50.94)
UW Lineup: Mya Lebakken, Julia Johnson, Sarah Stacks, Tori Kost, Kate Maguire, Delaney Toepel, Virginia Mathu, Mallory Grim, Alicia Wolf

Lightweight Varsity Four - Grand Final
1. Wisconsin (A), (7:53.49), 2. Princeton, (8:06.56), 3. Georgetown (A), (8:09.24), 4. Harvard-Radcliffe, (8:10.64), 5. Boston University, (8:11.85), 6. Wisconsin (B), (8:14.9), 7. Georgetown (B), (8:25.21)
UW Lineup: A-Coxswain Rachel Schwartz, Claire Kelley, Mirha Girt, Payton James, Janet Titzler
B- Coxswain Rachel Yan, Abby Keith, Jacqueline Jones, Alexandra Fochios, Madeline Rowe

Lightweight Varsity Double - Grand Final
1. Wisconsin, (8:21.51), 2. Princeton, (8:22.95), 3. Boston University (A), (8:45.46), 4.Harvard-Radcliffe, (8:55.18), 5. Georgetown, (9:38.22)
UW Lineup: Shannon Lipe, Mariliyn Garberg