CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM | SCHEDULE | LIVE RESULTS

TROY, N.Y. - The Liberty League 2022 Rowing Championships will get underway on Friday with Union College hosting at Fish Creek (2,000 meter course) in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. at 2:30 pm.

Joining Union at the regatta is the seven other Liberty League institutions that sponsor men's and women's rowing—Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Ithaca College, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University and associate member St. John Fisher College.

ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

In women's rowing, Ithaca is poised to repeat and claim its fourth consecutive Liberty League Women's Rowing title. The Bombers won back-to-back championship titles at the 2018 and 2019 Championships and picked up their third title in 2021.
 
At the 2021 championship, Ithaca easily won the Varsity Eight race with a margin of victory of nearly 15 seconds ahead of runner-up RIT. The Bombers crossed the finish line at 7:56.097 and the Tigers recorded a time of 8:10.755. Ithaca also claimed victory in the Second Varsity Eight event as they easily won, eclipsing the field by 21 seconds (8:43.071).
 
In the most recent Pocock Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Division III poll, Ithaca and RIT are both featured checking in at No. 5 and No. 15 respectively while three others—Skidmore, Rochester and William Smith are receiving votes.
 
With eight teams entered in the Women's Varsity Eight race, there will be two heats to open the 2022 championships. Ithaca, RIT, Union and William Smith will compete in the first heat while Rochester, St. John Fisher, St. Lawrence and Skidmore face off in the second heat. Later in the afternoon, the Women's Varsity Eight Petit Final (2 boats) and Final (6 boats) will take place. The Petit Final will have the seventh and eighth times overall from the heats while the Final will have the winners of the heats and the next four fastest times meeting.

On the men's side, Hobart is eyeing its 16th consecutive Liberty League Men's Rowing title at the 2022 Championship.
 
Hobart is the lone Liberty League men's rowing team represented in the latest Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Men's Heavyweight Varsity Eight poll; where the Statesmen are receiving votes. In the latest, IRA Division III poll, Skidmore holds a spot at No. 14 and four other conference teams are spotlighted in the latest Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association (IRCA) Varsity Eight+ poll—Ithaca (10), RIT (12), Union (15) and St. Lawrence (votes) are all highlighted.
 
Hobart earned the 2021 Liberty League Men's Rowing title with the Statesmen winning the Varsity Eight race with a time of 6:24.024; 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Ithaca (7:02.467). They also claimed victory in the Second Varsity Eight, however it was a battle to the finish before the Statesmen came out triumphant. Hobart won with a time of 7:37.030 defeating runner-up RIT by 11 seconds. The Tigers finished with a time of 7:48.961, however they did narrowly edge out Ithaca by less than a second for second as the Bombers clocked in a time of 7:49.418.
 
Winners of the Varsity Eight races are crowned Liberty League team champions. For the women, to earn the Liberty League Automatic Qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA Championship, they must also have a Second Varsity Eight boat participate at the championship. It is the sixth time that a bid to the NCAA championship is on the line in Liberty League Women's Rowing and the third year with eight league institutions competing (seven is the minimum number required for a bid). The NCAA Rowing Championships for all three divisions will be held May 27-29 in Sarasota, Florida (the NCAA does not sponsor a men's rowing championship).