BETHEL, Ohio – The Wesleyan women's crew team saw both boats place top 2 in their respective heats, earning a spot in the NCAA Championship Grand Final on Saturday from Harsha Lake. The reigning national runner-up advances to the Grand Final at the NCAA Championships for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
The first race of the day saw the Cardinals' 2
nd varsity 8 coast to a second-place finish in heat 2, finishing with a time of 7:34.913 which was 16+ seconds ahead of the third-place finisher Ithaca. By way of placing top two in the heat, Wesleyan earns a spot in Saturday's Grand Final and avoids the repechage later in the day on Friday, where the third and fourth place finishers from each of the two heats battle for the final two spots in the Grand Final. Wesleyan's time of 7:34.913 is fourth-fastest among the boats in the preliminary heats.
Soon after the finish of the first race, the varsity 8 kicked off and Wesleyan's top boat showed well, finishing in 7:08.83 to win heat 2 and earn a spot in the Grand Final on Saturday. Finishing ahead of the second-place finisher Trinity by 3.42 seconds, the Cardinals' time of 7:08.83 was third-fastest combined through preliminary action. Wesleyan's varsity 8 will spot for the national championship on Saturday alongside the Bantams, Williams, Tufts, and two more boats between Ithaca, Smith, St. Mary's (MD), and Puget Sound as the repechage will decide the final list of six teams.
The two Grand Finals are slated for Saturday as the 2
nd varsity begins at 10:48 AM while the varsity 8 will begin at 11:36 AM from Harsha Lake.
Competing for the Cardinals on the day included:
Varsity 8 –
Ava Olson '25 (coxswain),
Alex Stanislaw '25,
Shayna McCarthy '24,
Cadence Cole '26,
Anna Merrifield '24,
Ruby Roberts '27,
Em Moran '26,
Nora Printy '26, and
Alex Kuo '26
2nd Varsity 8 –
Noa Pesner '24 (coxswain),
Shelagh Coombs '24,
Hailey Hutchison '27,
Elise McCamant '24,
Anne Horton '24,
Peyton Fern '25,
Greta Armbrust '25,
Sophie Braver '27, and
Julia Lissack '27
