WORCESTER, MA – The Skidmore College men's and women's rowing teams competed at the National Invitational Rowing Championship (NIRC) this past weekend in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The Thoroughbreds sent six crews to the regatta, which hosted 28 programs from across the country. Races were held throughout the day, with heats in the morning and finals in the afternoon. Conditions featured 10–15 mph tailwinds, with the best racing windows at the start and end of the day.

WOMEN'S RECAP

• The women's team entered three boats: the Women's Open 4+, the Women's Second Varsity 8+, and the Women's Varsity 8+. 
• The Open 4+ kicked off the day with a fourth-place finish in their heat, advancing to the petite final. There, Skidmore secured a win with a time of 8:20—four seconds ahead of UNH B. The crew of Cam High, Lila Glanville, Harper Staton-Todaro, Ava Hammond, and Jackson Turner finished 7th overall.
• The Women's Second Varsity 8+ raced in a six-boat heat, with the top two moving on to the grand final, third and fourth to the petite final, and fifth and sixth to the third-level final. Skidmore placed 5th—eight seconds behind Hamilton—and moved into the third-level final. They won the final in 7:14, nine seconds ahead of Mount Holyoke. The lineup included Brie Chircco, Charlotte Taylor, Alice Yi, Nicolette Kirwan, Ava Holthoff, Grady Vermilye, Madison Lofmark, Willa Bradley, and Summer Saifee, placing 13th overall.
• In the most competitive race of the day, the Women's Varsity 8+, seeded 12th, lined up against Liberty League rivals Ithaca and William Smith, aiming for a top-four finish to reach the petite final, knowing they were lined up against 13^th seeded Clark looking for an upset. Skidmore led both rivals at the 1000-meter mark but ultimately placed 4th, advancing to the petite final. There, they faced William Smith again, along with WPI, Wellesley, Hamilton, and Smith. The Thoroughbreds battled to the line but finished one second behind William Smith, earning 8th place overall—a program-best finish in the Varsity 8+ event, surpassing the 10th-place finish by the 2008 crew.

MEN'S RECAP

• The men's team also sent three boats: an Open 4+, a Second Varsity 8+, and a Varsity 8+.
• The Open 4+ competed in a five-boat event, with the top two advancing to the grand final, third and fourth to the petite final, and the remaining boat to the third-level final. The crew—Isadora Fuller, Jack Holtzapffel, Kieran Jenkins, Riley Mook, and Rodrigo Gonzalez-Rivero—placed 4th in their heat and moved to the petite final, finishing 5th for an 11th-place overall result.
• The Men's Second Varsity 8+ placed 5th in their heat and moved to the third-level final. There, Gwen Posanti, Sam Goldberg, Charles Ertz, Nestor Martinez, Joe Papaccio, David Steinberger, Stephen Dumaresq, Kal Katz, and Nick Casale earned a decisive win in 6:31 over Conn College, Hamilton, and Mass Maritime, placing 13th overall.
• The Men's Varsity 8+, seeded 16th, upset the 15th seed in their heat but narrowly missed defeating the 10th seed, sending them to the third-level final. The crew—Emma Laquinta, Will Landro, Grant Steinberger, Sam van Adrichem Boogaert, Ryan Capozucca, Thomas du Four, Mark Miller, Hudson Till, and Van de Venecia—finished the course in 6:07, placing 15th overall.

FROM THE COACH
"This was a fantastic way to end the season," said Head Coach Manny Valentin. "This is how strong programs are built—through incremental progress. Several of our boats crossed the line first in their finals. Others pushed their limits to reach the petite finals. I'm especially proud of our Women's Varsity 8+, who closed the gap significantly on Ithaca and William Smith after losses last weekend. That kind of resilience shows our direction is strong. With 27 programs attending, Skidmore finished 13th in the combined team points standings. We'll take this week to celebrate our 11 seniors and a great season—then get back to work next week."

PROGRAM HISTORY
Skidmore Rowing has had some strong performances at NIRCs. Highlights include:

• Men's Open 4+ – 2nd place in 2017
• Men's Varsity 4+ – Petite Final winner in 2008
• Women's Varsity 8+ – 10th overall in 2008
• Women's Varsity 8+ – 11th overall in 2001
• Men's Varsity 4+ – 6th overall in 2000
• Women's Second Varsity 8+ – 5th overall in 1999
• Men's Novice 8+ – Petite Final winner in 1998

STAY CONNECTED
End-of-season awards will be announced in the coming weeks. Follow @SkidmoreRowing on Instagram for the latest updates and team content.