SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On Friday morning, the Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College launched six crews to compete at the Liberty League Championships, held on Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs.

In addition to conference titles, the winner of each Varsity 8+ event secured an automatic bid to the national championships. The NCAA Women's Championship will be held May 30–June 1 in West Windsor, N.J., while the men's IRA National Championship takes place the same weekend in Cherry Hill, N.J.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The day began with the women's varsity eight, where the Thoroughbreds finished third in a time of 7:47. Ithaca College won the event in 7:28, followed by William Smith College. Rounding out the field were the University of Rochester, RIT, St. Lawrence, and Union. The Skidmore crew included Hayden Harlow, Maddie Aho, McKenna Otey, Delaney Miller, Molly Sullivan, Camilla Johnson, Norah Jankey, Britta Arvold, and Ella Plosky.

Shortly after, the women's second varsity eight also claimed third place in a close race with William Smith's second crew. William Smith's A boat took first in 7:53, with Ithaca in second. William Smith B, RIT, St. Lawrence, and the University of Rochester completed the race behind Skidmore. Coxed by Brie Chirco, the crew featured Charlotte Taylor and Alice Yi in the stern pair; Nicolette Kirwan, Ava Holthoff, Grady Vermilye, and Madison Lofmark in the middle four; and Willa Bradley and Summer Saifee in the bow pair.

The men's varsity eight posted the highest finish of the day for Skidmore, placing second in a field of five. Ithaca College won the race in 6:35, followed by the Thoroughbreds in 6:56. RIT, St. Lawrence, and Union completed the field. The crew was composed of Emma Laquinta, Will Landro, Grant Steinberger, Sam van Adrichem Boogaert, Ryan Capozucca, Thomas du Four, Mark Miller, Hudson Till, and Van de Venecia.

The men's second varsity eight, coming off a victory at the New York State Championships, placed third in a time of 7:15. Ithaca's A and B boats claimed the top two positions, followed by Skidmore, Union, RIT, and St. Lawrence. The Thoroughbreds were represented by Gwen Posanti, Sam Goldberg, Charles Ertz, Nestor Martinez, Joe Papaccio, David Steinberger, Stephen Dumaresq, Kal Katz, and Nick Casale.

In the final events of the day, the women's varsity four finished fourth out of five, just four seconds behind RIT. The crew—Camilla High, Lila Glanville, Harper Staton-Todaro, Ava Hammond, and Jackson Turner—raced against a field won by Ithaca in 9:21.

The men's varsity four competed in a three-boat final, finishing second in 8:16. The University of Rochester won in 8:02, with RIT finishing third in 8:29. Skidmore's crew included Isadora Fuller, Jack Holtzapffel, Kieran Jenkins, Riley Mook, and Rodrigo Gonzalez-Rivero.

FROM THE COACH
"We competed hard. We did everything we were supposed to," said Head Coach Manny Valentin. "The loss hurts—absolutely—but the team and program continue to take steps forward. Our men's team was last in 2024, so moving up to second is a significant jump. Our women's team returned to the top three after falling out last year. I'm proud of their efforts and looking forward to one more trip down the course."

UP NEXT
The Thoroughbreds return to action on Saturday, May 11, at the 31st Annual National Invitational Rowing Championships in Worcester, Mass. Racing will be streamed on Overnght.com.