Trinity Women's Rowing Takes Regional, National, and International Titles in 2008

Hartford, Conn., August 22, 2008 - The Trinity College women's rowing team, coached by Wesley Ng (2nd Season), recorded an 8-2 record in dual races this spring, won its third straight New England Championship title, its fourth straight New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title, and its second Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) National Invitational Regatta crown this spring.  At the Henley Women's Regatta in June, the Bantams won four races in two days to win the Jefferies Cup Open+ Championship title, defeating entries from the Cambridge Boat Club and from University College in Dublin, Ireland to reach the Sunday's semifinals against A.A.S.R.  Trinity won that race by 2.5 lengths to advance to the finals against a boat from Durham University, and the Bantams emerged victorious from that race to earn their first Jefferies Cup crown and the right to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta.  Trinity suffered a preliminary round loss at the Henley Royal Regatta to close its tremendous season.  The Bantams finished as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation according to www.row2k.com.

The first varsity eight boat at the NCAA Championships and at the Henley regattas included senior co-captain Carmel Zahran (Oakbrook, Ill.), senior and 2006 and 2008 All-American Loren Massimino (Bridgeport, Conn.), senior Alison Schmidt (York, Pa.), juniors Natalie Jones (Haverford, Pa.), Ashley Swiggert (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Amory Minot (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), sophomores Deede Dixon (Manchester, Mass.) and Eleanor Wierzbowski (Walpole, N.H.), and sophomore coxswain Stephanie Apstein (Waban, Mass.).

The second varsity eight boat at the NCAA Championships consisted of senior co-captain Amanda Kulik (Salem, Mass.), senior Nadia Zahran (Oak Brook, Ill.), juniors Ali Berluti (Westwood, Mass.), Eveline Case (New Canaan, Conn.), and Alexandra Purdie (Linwood, N.J.), sophomore coxswain Courteney Coyne (Westwood, Mass.), and freshmen Mina Aiken (Palm Beach, Fla.), Jamie Callahan (North Andover, Mass.), and Sarah Keller (Perrysburg, Ohio).  Kulik, Schmidt, fellow senior Jessica Chitwood (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Berluti, Case, and Minot were each named to the 2008 NESCAC All-Academic Team, while Kulik, Berluti, Case, and Minot, also graced the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Division II/III National  Scholar Athlete List, and Schmidt represented Trinitwomen's rowing on the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.  Kulik and Chitwood were NESCAC All-Academic honorees last spring as well.