PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne rowing team returned to head racing competition for the first time in 23 months with several entries at the Head of the Ohio on the Allegheny River this past Saturday. 

While the Dukes were certainly excited to get into action, they had to wait just a bit longer as a heavy fog settled over the racecourse and delayed racing for 90 minutes. After the fog lifted, the winds were relatively light, and the Allegheny River was positively drenched in sunshine. The water was mostly flat, and without much current to speak of, it was as close to a perfect day of racing as anyone could hope for. 
 
Starting off the day for the Dukes, Mikayla Bayto took to the course in the Women's Open 1x, openeing up her race by passing two boats in the first half of the race, giving her a lot of positive momentum in the second half of competition. Bayto finished her race out strong and earned a bronze medal for the Dukes. 

Next up on the course for Duquesne were three 4+s, one with only sophomores, one with sophomores and juniors, and one with purely freshmen. In addition to the race itself, it was also an opportunity for some intrasquad competition for the underclassmen.

With all three crews starting in the middle of the start order, there were plenty of Duquesne boats to chase down in front, and crews pushing them ahead from behind. In the end, the mixed sophomore/junior 4+ finished second, the pure sophomore 4+ finished third, just 7.5 seconds between the two which finished behind Robert Morris. The freshmen worked out an 11th-place finish of the 18 boats on the course.
 
Shortly after the 4+s ran down the course, senior Julia Stoll and junior Jillian Peters took out a pair together for the third time in their careers. In a couple practices prior, the pair of women found a way to move the boat well and the Duquesne coaching staff decided to give them a shot at a race. Even with only a short time in the boat, the women came together to put out a respectable race and finished third. 
 
The final race of the day for Duquesne was the Women's Open 8+, which saw three 8+s launch out onto the water. In the starting order, the first Duquesne boat started third, behind Penn State and Case Western Reserve.

The Dukes chased down both the Nittany Lions and the Spartans, and then increased their lead over the rest of the field to post a first-place finish on the day.

Starting in the back of the pack, the other two Duquesne 8+s started back-to-back. The second Duquesne 8+ passed Robert Morris and Carnegie Mellon within the first few minutes of the race and managed to chase down the Bearcats from Cincinnati at the finish line. For their effort, the second Duquesne 8+ took home bronze, with Robert Morris finishing second.

The final Duquesne 8+ had a strong race, the first collegiate head race for many of the athletes in the shell. They were able to put distance on the Robert Morris boat behind them, as well as make up distance on the Robert Morris boat that started in front of them. At the end of a competitive race, the third Dukes boat tied for ninth with the Tartans and were less than a second off Cincinnati as well.
 
Head Coach Jennifer Langzettel: "Overall it was a very positive day. We could not have asked for better conditions for our first head race in almost two years. The women earned a lot of hardware and, while building on our strengths, we have identified where we can continue to gain speed. We are looking forward to the Yinzer Cup in just a few short weeks."
 
NEXT UP
The Duquesne Dukes will return to action at the Yinzer Cup, hosted by Robert Morris on the Ohio River (Neville Island), on October 23. 
 
RESULTS
Women's Open 1x:

1. McDarragh Minnock (Unaffiliated): 16:12.4
2. Suzanne Maddamma (Steel City): 16:22.3
3. Mikayla Bayto (Duquesne): 16:46.2
4. Victoria Mather (Western Reserve): 16:55.1
5. Anyoina Dumitriu (Sylvan Scullers): 17:43.7
6. Maraea Ody (Robert Morris): 17:59.9
7. Emily Kerry (Robert Morris): 18:43.6
8. Weiheng Qin (Carnegie Mellon): 19:11.4

 
Women's Open 4+

1. Robert Morris: 14:39.0
2. Duquesne: 15:06.7
3. Duquesne: 15:14.2
4. Case Western Reserve: 15:25.1
5. Franklin & Marshall: 15:28.2
6. Carnegie Mellon: 15:36.0
7. Pittsburgh: 15:49.2
8. Pittsburgh: 15:50.1
9. Case Western Reserve: 15:52.1
10. Penn State: 16:06.0
11. Duquesne: 16:30.4
12. Pittsburgh: 16:35.7
13. Penn State: 16:40.6
14. Cincinnati: 16:45.3
15. Miami (OH): 16:45.5
16. Robert Morris: 16:48.3
17. Carnegie Mellon: 18:14.6
18. Robert Morris: 19:02.2

Women's Open 2-

1. Carnegie Mellon Alumni: 15:54.8
2. Detroit Boat Club: 16:22.9
3. Duquesne: 16:29.8

Women's Open 8+

1. Duquesne: 14:11.9
2. Robert Morris: 14:35.2
3. Duquesne: 14:55.9
4. Penn State: 15:18.4
5. Miami (OH): 15:30.4
6. Pittsburgh: 15:32.4
7. Case Western Reserve: 15:41.8
8. Cincinnati: 15:42.3
9. Carnegie Mellon: 15:43.1
10. Duquesne: 15:43.1
11. Robert Morris: 15:50.5
12. Robert Morris: 17:39.2
13. Carnegie Mellon: 17:43.3