SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The Skidmore College rowing teams had a strong showing at the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships held Saturday on Fish Creek. The regatta featured 28 colleges and over 130 entries, with races running throughout the day.
MEN'S RACES
- The Thoroughbreds fielded entries in the Men's First Varsity Eight (1V), Second Varsity Eight (2V), and the Varsity Four (4+).
- In the morning heats, the Men's 1V needed a top-three finish to qualify for the Grand Final. The crew placed fourth in a time of 6:56.3, narrowly missing third place behind RIT. The result placed them in the Petite Final.
- The Men's 4+ also competed in a morning heat, finishing fourth—well behind Binghamton University but ahead of Stony Brook. They too moved on to the Petite Final.
- The Men's 2V competed in a five-boat Final Only event and delivered a standout performance, winning the race in a time of 6:49.1. The crew topped Liberty League rivals Union, St. Lawrence, and RIT, as well as Hamilton.
- In the Petite Final of the Men's 1V, Skidmore crossed the line first with a time of 6:40.2, besting the University of Rochester, Union, and Rensselaer. Vassar won the Grand Final with a time of 6:19.8.
- The Men's 4+ lined up against Iona, Binghamton, Long Island University, and two crews from Stony Brook in their Petite Final, racing for places 7–12. Skidmore finished first in a time of 8:03.3.
WOMEN'S RECAP
- This week, the women's squad fielded a First Varsity Eight (1V) and a Second Varsity Eight (2V), both of which raced heats and finals.
- In the Women's 1V heat, Skidmore lined up against Colgate, Marist, Army, and St. Lawrence, with the top two advancing to the Grand Final. Skidmore would ultimately finish third in the Petite Final, securing ninth place overall with a time of 7:20.6. Colgate took first in the Grand Final with a time of 7:01.4.
- The Women's 2V finished third in their heat and advanced to the Petite Final. Marist and Smith moved on to the Grand Final, while Skidmore and St. Lawrence headed to the Petite. In that final, Canisius won with a time of 7:27.9, while Skidmore placed second in 7:47.5—good for eighth overall. Marist captured the Grand Final title in 7:16.9.
FROM THE COACH
"Overall, a solid day of racing. We've been bit by the illness bug, so we were missing some key contributors. But this gave others a chance to step up and rise to the occasion," said head coach
Manny Valentin.
We also had a tough weather week and only managed two water practices, which affected our preparation. Despite that, the team locked in, made improvements between heats and finals, and built momentum heading into the final three weeks of the season. Once we're fully healthy, I'm confident in our top-end speed. And for the Men's 2V to win the event—after finishing last in it a year ago—shows our trajectory and potential as a program."
UP NEXT
The Thoroughbreds will take next weekend off before hosting the Liberty League Championships on Thursday, May 2, also on Fish Creek. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube; more details to follow.
