The University of Rhode Island women’s rowing team captured its third straight Atlantic 10 Conference Championship on Saturday, clinching an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
The championship marked the 12th title in program history, with the Rams also taking home five individual awards.
Rhode Island head coach Shelagh Donohoe was named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, marking her 11th time winning the award in her 20 years with the rowing program.
“It’s all about the kids and their hard work; they make me and all the other coaches look good,” Donohoe said. “It’s definitely my staff, I know that I’m the head coach, but I couldn’t do it without them. They’ve done a fabulous job.”
Second-year Nora Lake, fourth-years Emma Barnhart and Bethany Nordstrom earned First-Team All-Atlantic 10 selections. Second-year Liz Mayer achieved Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors.
The Rams earned the title on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J., where the Varsity 8+ boat of Barnhart, Nordstrom, Lake, first-year Charlotte Aeder, second-years Sasha Hanewald and Sierra Munroe, third-year Brigid McShea and fourth-year coxswain Lily Stasaitis, worked together to beat second-place Fordham University by three seconds.
Rhody’s final time of 6:33.123 marked the fourth-fastest time in A-10 history, and quickest since the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s pace of 6:32.10 in 1998.
URI’s Second Varsity 8+ boat of first-years Danika Rogers, Sophia Thyer and coxswain Rachel Bauhaus, second-year Sage Sabatino, third-years Amanda Cubit, Anna Kann, Payton Klein, Maddy Papik, and fourth-year Emma Larsh marked a new A-10 record with a winning pace of 6:39.501.
“It all came down to the [Second] Varsity 8,” Donohoe said. “ It’s a very young boat, three freshmen, two sophomores and great leaders. They were determined, able to stay internal and put together a fantastic race. They rowed well and moved fast, and they would not be denied. They got the bow across first, that in our sport is what it’s all about.”
Following the Second Varsity 8+ boat’s strong finish with a young lineup, Donohoe is excited about the future of the rowing program.
“In that [Second Varsity 8+], they were determined and worked so hard,” Donohoe said. “I’m so proud of them, and they really were able to put together the full package right when it counted. It was really inspiring to watch their race.”
The Rams also won the Third Varsity 8+ race with a time of 7:12.925. George Washington University finished second in 7:28.987.
In a tight Varisty 4+ race, Rhode Island finished fourth with a time of 7:44.619. George Washington took first place in 7:37.268, La Salle University finished second in 7:38.792 and Duquesne University rounded out the top three in 7:40.374.
In the Second Varsity 4+, Rhody took third place in 8:12.273. George Washington earned first with a time of 7:57.668, and Duquesne finished second in 8:00.895.
Overall, URI finished with 48 team points, while George Washington scored 43 for second place. Fordham filled out the top three with 40 points.
Rhode Island will head to the NCAA Championship for a third consecutive year.
“It’s an automatic qualifier, so we know we’re in,” Donohoe said. “If you look at women’s rowing, it’s exploded. The programs are really fast; we’ve got to continue to improve.
The championship begins on May 29 and runs through May 31 at Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga.
“I’m going to take these two weeks and make these rowers better,” Donohoe said. “We’ve got to row smarter. We’re not going to gain a lot of fitness in two weeks, but you can row better, which will move the boat faster. We’re going to put the effort in, the kids are on board and I’m excited to see what the next two weeks bring.”
In last year’s national championship, the Rams placed 21st. In 2024, URI placed 20th.
All days of the NCAA Championship will be available for streaming on NCAA.com.
