PITTSBURGH - This past weekend Duquesne welcome Dayton to its home waters on the Allegheny River for a head-to-head Atlantic 10 conference matchup. The conditions on the Allegheny added a challenge to the racing; a current running at 35,000 cfs and a headwind of 13-15 mph providing an additional technical challenge. A sun-drenched 60 degree day provided a great setting for the clash on the river.
In the first race of the day, two halves of Dayton's Varsity 8 took on one half of Duquesne's Varsity 8 in a race between three 4s. The Flyers' B boat got their bow
out front early but the race proved to be close, with Duquesne holding their bow in the second-place position just ahead of Dayton's A boat for most of the race. When the final sprint to the finish came in the last 250m of racecourse, Dayton's A 4 was able to pull out a gutsy sprint to earn a slight edge on Duquesne's 4. The Dukes finished third, just one second behind the Dayton A boat and seven seconds behind Dayton's B boat.
The next boat on the course for the Dukes was a rematch of the Second Varsity 8s that raced each other last week at the George Mason Invitational. Duquesne hoped to even the score with the Flyers and took an aggressive start. Dayton was able to respond, however, and by halfway, gained a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the course. The Dukes cut three seconds off Dayton's margin of victory from the prior week, which is a positive takeaway from the race.
In the final scored race of the day, the Duquesne Varsity 4 lined up for a rematch with Dayton as well. Off the start line, the Dukes took a lead and never gave it up. In a well-rowed race, Duquesne had open water over Dayton, and the Dukes earned themselves a 12-second victory.
The final boat of the day were a couple of Novice 8s including one apiece from Dayton and Duquesne. For the Dukes' novices, this was their first true racing experience ever. In their race, the novice Dukes were able chase down the Flyers, who had jumped to an early lead off the line by about 500m into the race. From there, Duquesne maintained a lead with an eight-second advantage over Dayton at the finish line.
Head coach Jenn Langzettel: "We are very grateful that Dayton made the trip to Pittsburgh for the day. Mother Nature threw some curve balls but both teams handled all conditions very well and we had a competitive day of racing. We are looking forward to seeing them again in a couple weeks at the A-10 Championship."
NEXT UP
The Dukes will face off against Robert Morris back home the Allegheny River this Saturday, May 8 in their final tune-up before the A-10 Championship on Saturday, May 15 in Pennsauken, N.J. on the Cooper River.
DUQUESNE LINEUP
V8-V4:
Coxswain: Elizabeth Kuhn
4: Rebecca Swanson
3: Payton Campbell
2: Emma Halfacre
1: Brigid Haugh
2V8:
Coxswain: McGinley Jones
8: Hannah Straub
7: Rebecca McCallin
6: Caroline Redd
5: Celia Gambacorta
4: Hannah Peake
3: Eliza Mance
2: Britta Wheeler
1: Brianna McDonagh
Varsity 4:
Coxswain: Catherine Egan
4: Megan McMahon
3: Hannah Valenty
2: Sarah Ricketts
1: Kathryn Ackerman
Novice 8:
Coxswain: Vivian Chan
8: Caitlin DeStefano
7: Sydney Bivens
6: Kelly Ardrey
5: Erin Pyle
4: Abigail King
3: Grace Yeretzian
2: Lydia Grimaldi
1: Michelle Catao
