Yale Places Seventh With 96 Points; Highest Ivy League Finisher
WEST WINDSOR, New Jersey – It was a memorable NCAA Championship for the Yale women's crew. The Bulldogs placed seventh with 96 points, their best finish since coming in sixth in 2010. It was the 13th top-10 finish in the last 16 years for the Bulldogs, who were the highest finishing Ivy League team.
"We came in [seeded] ninth and are leaving seventh," said a very pleased Will Porter, The Friends of YWC Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "We climbed as a team against very strong competition."
Washington turned in a record-breaking performance to win the NCAA title. The Huskies became the first school to win all three grand finals in a single championship to amass 132 points. California was second with 123 points followed by Michigan (112), Texas (108), Ohio State (106) and Stanford (105).
Yale had the sixth fastest varsity eight in the nation, the eighth fastest second varsity eight and the eighth fastest varsity four.
"This team has been very united since the start of the season," Porter said. "They were committed to training and committed to each other. Through their actions, they held each other accountable. We are smaller in numbers [compared to other schools] but very scrappy."
The varsity eight, which was seeded ninth and rowing in the grand final for the first time since 2010, was up against a very talented field that featured three Pac-12 schools. The Bulldogs finished with a time of 6:48.634. Washington was first in 6:36.939, edging second-place Stanford (6:38.520). California (6:40.069) was third followed by Texas (6:44.737) and Michigan (6:44.812).
"Our varsity eight represented itself very well," Porter said. "Their body of work produced very strong results."
Yale was the only Ivy crew in the grand final.
"We take a lot of pride in being the fastest Ivy at NCAAs," Porter said.
The crew for the Bulldogs was: bow Amy Warner, Schuyler Ritchie, Kate O'Brien, Alison Nordell, Ella von der Schulenburg, Daisy Mazzio-Manson, Marybeth Swords, stroke Lily Lindsay and coxswain Sara Lee.
The second varsity eight of bow Sophie Deans, Meg Galloway, Julia Sesler, Victoire Lienau, Olivia Maclean, Arwen Neski, Margaret Saunders, stroke Lydia Keating and coxswain Jessica Michaels finished second in the petite final with a time 6:49.793, a little over a second behind first-place Texas (6:48.403). Stanford was third in 6:50.220 followed by Princeton (6:51.088), Syracuse (6:56.138) and Virginia (6:56.760).
The Bulldogs, who were forced to the repechage on the first day of the three-day competition, were racing for the fourth time at the championship. Yale came into the event seeded eighth.
The varsity four also turned in a strong performance in its final race of the season. Yale placed second in the petite final with a time of 7:27.617, a little over a second behind first-place Wisconsin (7:26.277). Stanford (7:30.875) was third followed by Virginia (7:37.187), Syracuse (7:43.588) and Iowa (7:43.903).
"It's a challenge to race in the petite finals, and I thought both our 2V and four showed a lot of fight," Porter said.
The varsity four crew for Yale was: bow Alexia Rojas, Kate Flanders, Sera Bulbul, stroke Kate Horvat and coxswain Anisa Iqbal.
The future looks very bright for the Bulldogs, who graduate only four rowers and one coxswain from the NCAA lineup.
"Being in a fast race is contagious, They got a taste of it, and will now want more," Porter said. "I'm very sure they will train hard this summer, but there are no guarantees."
Seniors Schuyler Ritchie, Kate O'Brien, the team captain, coxswain Sara Lee, Olivia Maclean and Lydia Keating certainly left a strong mark on the program.
"This senior class took us from an 11th-place finish and the varsity eight in the C final [last year] to seventh," Porter said. "They led the team as a class."
Final Team Standings
Washington 132
California 123
Michigan 112
Texas 108
Ohio State 106
Stanford 105
Yale 96
Brown 91
Wisconsin 86
Princeton 85
Virginia 74
Indiana 62
Syracuse 60
Washington State 56
Iowa 54
Notre Dame 40
Northeastern 38
Central Florida 28
Gonzaga 25
Navy 16
Massachusetts 15
Jacksonville 6
Report filed by Tim Bennett (timothy.bennett@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity
