ROME, NY – The Thoroughbreds traveled to the Erie Canal this past weekend for a full day of racing at the Hamilton Duals, facing competition from Hamilton (CRCA No. 10 / IRCA No. 10), RIT, Smith (CRCA No. 5), and Middlebury (ACRA Women's No. 2).

MEN'S RACES
Racing opened with the men's first varsity eight against Middlebury. Skidmore fell by a narrow margin, 6:06.64 to 6:13.84. The lineup, from coxswain to bow, featured Hayden Harlow, Will Landro, Grant Steinberger, Thomas du Four, Charles Ertz, Henry Shannon, Sam van Adrichem Boogaert, Kal Katz, and Van de Venecia.

Shortly afterward, the men's second varsity eight earned a victory over Middlebury, crossing in 6:21.91 to edge the Middlebury's 6:23.87. That crew included Isadora Fuller, Hudson Till, Nestor Martinez, Andrew Bertucci, Dimitri Moschochoritis, Joe Papaccio, Riley Mook, Felix Kissell, and David Steinberger.

"We started the morning against Middlebury with a solid time but knew there was room for improvement," said junior Sam van Adrichem Boogaert. "We ended the day with a solid win against RIT, going two seconds faster and showing that the work has been paying off."

WOMEN'S RACES
In the women's racing, Skidmore's second varsity eight finished third against Smith and Middlebury, with Smith taking the win. The times were 7:01.79 for Smith, 7:06.12 for Middlebury, and 7:46.81 for Skidmore. The Thoroughbreds' lineup consisted of Brie Chircco, Jamie Kinast, Sophia Peterson, Harper Staton-Todaro, Amalia Inhofe, Charlotte Visger, Beilynn Geiss, Nicolette Kirwan, and Lila Glanville.

The women's first varsity eight also placed third in its opening race, finishing behind Middlebury and Smith. Middlebury won in 6:45.67, followed by Smith in 6:48.44 and Skidmore in 7:00.78. Cam High coxed the varsity eight, with Camilla Johnson and Delaney Miller in the stern pair. Ollie Bronson and Norah Jankey occupied the 5- and 6-seats, while Madison Lofmark made her spring debut in the 1V. Grady Vermilye, Ava Holthoff, and Charlotte Taylor rounded out the lineup.

"Coaching was taken to heart between the first and second race," said Charlotte Taylor. "I was happy to watch us improve throughout the day."

In the second half of the day, the men's second varsity eight faced Hamilton in a rematch from earlier this season. Hamilton took the win, 6:18.7 to 6:20.6. Shortly after, Skidmore's first varsity eight defeated RIT, 6:11.5 to 6:31.4.

The women closed the day against Liberty League rival RIT. The women's second varsity eight fell 7:41.10 to 7:31.59, while the first varsity eight secured a victory, 6:58.0 to 7:10.9.

FROM HEAD COACH MANNY VALENTIN
"When we made the decision to come to Hamilton instead of the Knecht Cup, we knew we might not see the same outcome goals we would have had at Knecht," said head coach Manny Valentin. "Instead, we chose to focus on performance goals and hit internal time standards. We wanted a fast first race and, just as importantly, a fast second race, which we accomplished. We'll continue to sort lineups, integrate speed work, and refine technique as we enter the second half of the season."
 
UP NEXT
The Thoroughbreds return to action this upcoming weekend at the New York State Championships on Fish Creek.