ITHACA'S INVITATION: The Ithaca College women's crew has received an invitation to the NCAA Rowing Championship, scheduled for Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 at Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis, Ind..
THE NCAA WOMEN'S ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP: This marks the first time a Division III Championships is being sponsored (previously the championship was an all-division event with a certain number of spots allocated for Division II/III schools). The championship is comprised of six teams (Colby, Ithaca, Pacific Lutheran, Smith, William Smith and Williams); each team fields two boats of eight rowers and a coxswain.
ITHACA IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS: The Bombers are making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Rowing Championship, which was first contested in 1997. That year Ithaca's entry -- a women's four -- placed 10th of 16 teams. A year later, Ithaca qualified a varsity eight for the national championship. That event was also held at Lake Lanier. Last spring the Bombers competed at the NCAA Championships for the third time.
ABOUT ITHACA: The Bombers' varsity eight has posted an 8-3 record during this season. Ithaca was the highest finishing Division III varsity eight at last weekend's Avaya Communications Collegiate Championships and took first place at the New York State Collegiate Regatta a week earlier. Ithaca won the overall points title at both regattas. The varsity eight is made up of junior coxswain Sarah Repicky (Niskayuna/Rexford), sophomore stroke Nora Lahr (Ithaca/Ithaca), senior seventh seat Melinda Bolgar (Ithaca/Newmarkt, Germany), senior sixth seat Liz Jackstadt (Plattsburgh/Plattsburgh), senior fifth seat Amelia O'Hanlon (Ithaca/Ithaca), senior fourth seat Rebecca Wurm (Newton North/Newton, Mass.), junior third seat Carrie Johnson (Cheyenne Mountain/Colorado Springs, Colo.), senior second seat Jocelyn Fitchett (Franklin D. Roosevelt/Poughkeepsie) and senior bow Linnet Miller (Fall Mountain/Alstead, N.H.). The second varsity eight is made up of sophomore coxswain Catherine Gloo (Herkimer/Herkimer), junior stroke Alison Blisnick (Maine-Endwell/Endwell), junior seventh seat Irene Woodward (Parkland/Allentown, Pa.), senior sixth seat Elisha Lovell (Rancocas Valley [N.J.]/Carthage), fifth seat Apryle Seeley (Rockland/Rockland, Mass.), junior fourth seat Lizzy Thomas (Clinton/Clinton), sophomore third seat Leslie Nichols (Conestoga/Berwyn, Pa.), sophomore second seat Joy Langley (West Valley/Yakima, Wash.) and junior bow Anna Dunham (Bishop Brady/Salisbury, N.H.). The Bombers are coached by Becky Robinson, a 1988 Ithaca graduate and member of the 1991 U.S. National Rowing Team.