Franklin Pierce Rowers Continue 
Good Early Season Form
WV8 wins its race, M&WV4’s both take second in their events over the weekend  

WORCESTER, Mass. (April 18, 2006) – The Franklin Pierce men’s and women’s rowing teams continued to show excellent form during the early part of their spring sprint season on Lake Quinsigamond over the weekend.

            Franklin Pierce’s women’s varsity eight, ranked second in the East Region by the NCAA Championship committee last week, won its event, completing the 2000-meter course in 7:51.50, defeating crews from Clark University (8:14.6) and Sacred Heart University (8:20.2). Rowing for the Ravens were junior Meagan Gross (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) at stroke, sophomore Blair Granum (Worcester, Mass./Doherty), junior Elizabeth Ward (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville), junior Amanda Ege (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman), junior Lauren Bibby (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury), sophomore Gwenn Curtis (Falls Village, Conn./Housatonic Valley), sophomore Brittany Bonesteel (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and senior Alexis Ozimek (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville) in the bow, with freshman Vanessa Leon (Lenox, Mass./Lenox) as the coxswain.

            Franklin Pierce’s women’s varsity four, part of the Ravens women’s program ranked second in the East Region, placed second in its event with a time of 8:29.0, finishing behind Connecticut College (8:10.5). Sacred Heart was third (9:24.3), while Clark was fourth (9:57.5). Rowing for the Ravens were Gross at stroke, Granum in the two seat, Ward at three seat and Ege on the bow with Leon as the coxswain.

            The men’s varsity four also placed second in its event, completing the 2000-meter course in 7:19.6, just behind winners Williams College (7:16.8). Trinity University (7:20.9) was third, while Clark (7:54.1) took fourth. Rowing for the Ravens were junior Justin Watson (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) at stroke, sophomore Bill Eroh (Meridan, Conn./Lyman Hall) at two seat, senior Rich Connell (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) at three seat and junior Nate Horowitz (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) at the bow with freshman Josh Lapinski (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) as the coxswain.

            The men’s varsity eight also competed and placed fourth in its event with a time of 7:18.66. Williams won the event with a time of 6:25.93. Rowing for the Ravens were Watson at stroke, sophomore Tom Merkt (Enfield, Conn./Cathedral) in the two seat, Eroh at the three seat, Connell at four seat sophomore Frank Seijas (Whittier, Calif./Whittier) in the five seat, freshman Chris Conwell (Bradford, Mass./Haverhill) at six seat, freshman Josh Marker (Lockport, N.Y./St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute) at seven seat and Horowitz in the bow with Lapinski as the coxswain.

            The Franklin Pierce men and women will be back in action this weekend when it faces Southern New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Lowell, Mass., on Saturday.