Rowing Completes Season-Opener Against Saint Joseph’s

Saturday, March 8

Philadelphia, Pa.

10 AM

University of Delaware

Saint Joseph's

Photo by: University of Delaware

Rowing Completes Season-Opener Against Saint Joseph’s

3/8/2025 7:23:00 PM | Rowing

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Delaware rowing team opened its season against the Saint Joseph's Hawks Saturday morning. This year marked the 20^th-annual occurrence of the season opener between the two schools, which is a significant celebration of the history and growth of collegiate women's rowing.

This year's match-style races took place under sunny skies in Philadelphia. Crews and coxswains faced typical early-March racing conditions including choppy water and a 14 MPH crosshead wind with gusts from the west at 21 MPH. Lanes were drawn at random prior to the competition, and the Hens were victorious over the Hawks in three of four matchups.

ON THE RECORD

"It was fantastic to be racing for the first time since the Fall and we all appreciated everyone who came to cheer us on along the river!" freshman Kathleen Higgins said after coxing the Second Varsity Four to victory. "The work we put in as a team over winter was clear out on the racecourse, and I can see improvements every day as we spend more time on the water. We're excited to keep the momentum building through the season!"
"It's always great to line up with my teammates, and Saint Joe's are good competitors, so I think today's races were a good starting place," As a senior, this was my last ever season-opener, which made me a little nostalgic because it's such a great tradition," team captain Tynneqa Jefferies said when reflecting about competing in the 20^th-annual race versus SJU. "We've come really far as a team this year and I'm excited for us to continue working hard to get faster and stronger for the rest of the season ahead."

HEN HIGHLIGHTS

In the Varsity Eight, both crews traded blows off the start, but the Hens were down by one length crossing through halfway. They maintained contact through the third 500 and ended with a powerful sprint, but it was not enough for the Hens to close the gap before the finish line.

In the Second Varsity Eight, SJU had a fast start, but Delaware made a powerful countermove in the second 500 meters. The Hens stepped through the Hawks ahead of the halfway buoy, taking nearly a seat per stroke as they walked, before breaking free with open water in the third 500. Delaware stretched their lead and crossed the line over 10 seconds ahead of SJU.
The Hens jumped off the line in the Varsity Four and gained a dominating open water lead in the first 500 meters. They closed the door and took even more open water through the body of the race, finishing 29.5 seconds ahead of Hawks in the largest margin of the day.

In the Second Varsity Four, the Blue & Gold had a one-length lead at the 500-meter mark, which stretched to open water by the halfway point. The crew maintained their lead and gained water before crossing the line nearly 17 seconds ahead of the Crimson and Gray.

RESULTS

Varsity 8+
- SJU - 7:03.6 (Lane 2)
- Delaware - 7:07.6 (Lane 3)
Second Varsity 8+
- Delaware - 7:24.6 (Lane 3)
- SJU - 7:35.4 (Lane 2)
Varsity 4+
- Delaware - 8:10.2 (Lane 3)
- SJU - 8:39.7 (Lane 2)
Second Varsity 4+
- Delaware - 7:50.1 (Lane 2)
- SJU - 8:06.9 (Lane 3)

LINEUPS

Varsity 8+	Second Varsity 8+	Varsity 4+	Second Varsity 4+
Claire Higgins-Hart (C) Corinne Carlson Meaghan Leahy Amari Randall Izzy Martinez Cornelia Meiss Ava Tine Tynneqa Jefferies Sarah Donaldson	Grace Phillips (C) Maya McCottry Meghan Rogers Madeline Climie Adriana Mazzella Chloe Kluender Makana Steinmetz Kailey Grimley Sophia Iorio	Amina Mai (C) Abigail Buss Samantha Ryan Julia Moller Grace Visser	Kathleen Higgins (C) Olivia Hollingsworth Shannon Dolt Lydia Attanasio Laura Gosnell

UP NEXT
Delaware returns to the Schuylkill River on Saturday, March 29 at 10 a.m. against La Salle.

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