Posted: 11/12/2011 | Last updated: November 12, 2011 at 08:50 PM
CAMDEN, N.J. - The Lehigh rowing team kicked off a busy weekend at the Frostbite Regatta on Saturday where it enjoyed success. The Mountain Hawks finished near the top of numerous races, including a first-place finish from the Women’s Freshmen Eight. Lehigh returns to action in 24 hours at the Braxton Regatta, also on the Cooper River.
“We had a good day,” said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. “It was great to see the team perform at such a level and against crews they’ll see later in the year.”
The second flight of Lehigh’s Women’s Freshmen Eight took home the Mountain Hawks’ only gold of the afternoon. That crew finished with a time of 8:54.48, just over a second better than second-place Lafayette. Lehigh’s first Freshmen Eight placed third in its flight with a time of 8:26.51.
Lehigh’s Men’s Freshmen Eight placed second, and third respectively, to round out a strong day by the rookie class.
“The freshmen crews were the standouts of the day with one bringing home the gold and the freshmen men having a strong showing against a perennially strong Temple crew,” said Conley. “The women held off a strong charge to secure themselves gold. It’s great to see the freshmen developing as quickly as they have; it means good things for the future of the team.”
Lehigh’s Men’s Varsity Eight finished second in the first flight while the women placed fifth.
“I think the team learned a lot about racing today,” said Conley. “Going from head racing to 2K racing is very different. It was great to see them adjusting and making boats go fast. I think we learned that the plan we have chosen is working, too.”
The Mountain Hawks face a challenge as they return to the water on Sunday for the Braxton Regatta, which rounds out the fall slate.
“We need to get good rest,” said Conley. “We also need to make sure we keep remembering the fundamentals. We did a good job today, but there were parts of each race we could have been cleaner and that is where we need to focus to not have any weaknesses in future races.”
Lehigh’s Results
Women’s Freshmen Eight (Flight 1)
1. Drexel: 7:22.83
2. West Virginia 7:42.85
3. Lehigh: 8:26.51
4. Lafayette: 8:33.02
5. George Mason: 8:40.78
6. Scranton: 9:01.51
Women’s Freshmen Eight (Flight 2)
1. Lehigh: 8:54.48
2. Lafayette: 8:55.92
3. West Virginia: 9:03.29
4. George Mason: 9:22.49
5. Maryland: 9:52.88
Men’s Freshmen (Flight 2)
1. Delaware: 6:69.29
2. Drexel: 7:01.71
3. Lehigh: 7:14.12
4. Ithaca: 7:34.57
5. Stony Brook: 8:34.82
Men’s Freshmen Eight (Flight 5)
1. Temple: 6:38.35
2. Lehigh: 6:56.87
3. La Salle: 7:10.40
4. Lafayette: 7:22.29
5. Haverford: 7:43.60
Women’s Varsity Eight (Flight 3)
1. Drexel: 6:55.30
2. West Virginia: 6:59.20
3. George Mason: 7:00.00
4. La Salle: 7:25.10
5. Lehigh: 7:31.60
6. Philadelphia U: 7:57.30
Men’s Varsity Eight (Flight 1)
1. La Salle: 6:20.07
2. Lehigh: 6:30.56
3. Binghamton: 6:39.53
4. Rutgers Camden: 7:07.02
5. Lafayette: 7:12.09