WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Ithaca College women's rowing team competed in the opening heats and repechage on the first day of the NCAA Division III Championships on Lake Mercer on Friday. The Bombers 1V8+ was able to win the repechage and with their second place finish the second varsity 8+ will also make an appearance in their respective grand finals.
 
The Ithaca first varsity eight crew of Beth Roberts, Samantha Gallagher, Ashley Bailey, Kai Lincke, Zoe Paradis Stern, Maggie Farber, Emma Hammel, Lily Babcock and Caroline Hoskins claimed third in the morning's first heat of event. The Bombers crew crossed the 2,000 meter finish line with a time of 6:58.296 and were just over seven seconds behind Tufts who timed in at 6:51.046.
 
In the repechage, the Bombers crew finished first out of four, moving into tomorrow's Grand Final. Ithaca College topped the field with a 7:00.496, narrowly trailed by St. Mary's (7:01.191), Wellesley (7:02.046) and finally Pacific Lutheran University (7:28.955).
 
The 2V8+ came up with a second-place finish in the repechage to put itself in tomorrow's Grand Final. The boat was defeated by Wellesley with a time of 7:11.589 followed by Ithaca (7:14.534), St. Mary's (7:16.895) and Pacific Lutheran (8:45.864).
 
In the morning's opening heat, the Bombers crew of Hope Oliveira, Carys Owen, Calla Bobak, Claire Edwards, Anna Capodilupo, Julia DiCostanzo, Emma Thorne, Emmeline Robinson and Smeena Gill finished third with a time of 7:25.514, as Williams won the heat at 7:05.301 followed by Wesleyan (7:10.134).
 
The Ithaca Second Varsity Eight+ will compete in lane one in the Grand Final tomorrow at 8:08 a.m. while the Bombers Varsity Eight (V8+) will kick off their Grand Final at 8:24 a.m. and the crew will row from lane six.