Franklin Pierce Competes on Lake Quinsigamond

WORCESTER, Mass. (April 10, 2007) – The Franklin Pierce men’s and women’s rowing teams opened their spring sprint season with mixed results on Lake Quinsigamond this weekend.

            Franklin Pierce’s men’s varsity four showed continued improvement from last season, finishing fourth out of five boats, but posted a time of 7:28 – just nine seconds off the pace of winners Connecticut College (7:19). Rowing for the Ravens were sophomore Josh Marker (Lockport, N.Y./St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute) at stroke, senior Rich Connell (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) in the two seat, junior Bill Eroh (Meridan, Conn./Lyman Hall) at three seat and senior Justin Watson (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) in the bow, with junior Brittany Bonesteel (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) as the coxswain.

            Franklin Pierce’s men’s novice four was also competitive, posting a time of 7:40 to place second (out of three crews) behind Connecticut College (7:29). Rowing for the Ravens were freshmen Ian Randall (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) at stroke, Patrick Brosnan (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) in the two seat, Wade Rodgers (West Greenwich, R.I./Exeter-West Greenwich Regional) at three seat and Isaac Breton (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) in the bow, with classmate Jessica Ward (Arlington, Va./Washington-Lee) as the coxswain.

            Franklin Pierce’s women’s varsity four was fourth out of four competing crews, posting a time of 8:18. Simmons College took first with a time of 7:48. Rowing for the Ravens were senior Meagan Gross (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) at stroke, junior Blair Granum (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) in the two seat, senior Elizabeth Ward (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) at three seat and junior Gwenn Curtis (Falls Village, Conn./Housatonic Valley) in the bow, with sophomore Vanessa Leon (Lenox, Mass./Lenox) as the coxswain.

            The women’s varsity eight also placed fourth out of four crews with a time of 7:52, with Simmons also winning that event with a time of 7:18. Rowing for the Ravens were Gross, Granum, Ward and Curtis, along with sophomore Cassie Ela (Lancaster, Mass./Nashoba Regional), freshman Melissa Doherty (West Barnstable, Mass./Barnstable), Jessica Guertin and senior Amanda Ege (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman), with Leon as coxswain.

            Franklin Pierce is back on the water this weekend for the Knecht Cup, hosted by Villanova University, in Camden, N.J., on Saturday and Sunday.