ITHACA, N.Y. – The entire Ithaca Crew of Sweepers, Scullers and Men took the short trip to Rochester on Saturday, October 10, for the Head of the Genesee. The day was perfect for racing, with sunshine, a mild breeze and plenty of families and fans on hand to support the racers. The course runs 5K with alternating turns and offers a great viewing point where crowds can watch crews navigate the final 1K.

The IC men bookended the day with solid performances in the Collegiate Men's 4+ and 8+ events. Bomber entries finished third, fourth and 11th in the 4+, then capped off their day by finishing second and fourth in the 8+. The results added fuel to the squad's competitive spark, as the team saw its top 8+ finish a mere 10 seconds behind powerhouse Hobart. A full account of the men's events can be found HERE.

On the sculling side of the squad, Ithaca showed its depth by medaling in all three events.

Senior CJ Owen won the 1x event in 24:12.2, finishing ahead of teammate Emmi Chen, who placed second in 24:57.2. Scullers from West Side were able to hold off IC's Mya Veracka, but her efforts kept her ahead of Clarkson for a sixth-place finish.

The Bombers also struck gold in the 2x. Jasmina Vahle and Alex Catlin capitalized on their power and technical progress to finish in 21:53.7, 37 seconds ahead of the silver-medal crew from the University of Rochester. Chris Cox and Jamie Friedlander, starting from the back of the field, executed several passes along the course to finish third. Claire Edwards and Lauren Huber got into a classic fall-racing tangle while navigating turns alongside a passing University of Rochester entry but were able to regroup and push into fourth place.

Rounding out the sculling events, the Bombers combined some of their secret weapons in a 4x+. On the small and light side but fiercely competitive, the crew finished in 20:02.1, 40 seconds ahead of its nearest competitor, Rochester. The gold-medal crew of Kate March, Bry Mendoza-Arias, Meara McCulloch and Julia DiCostanzo was coxed by Carly Hanlin.

In the women's sweep events, the Novice 8+ kicked off the day by navigating its first race ever! Ithaca finished second to Rochester in the event, but the team is seeing the start of great things from these new members of the squad. Gwen Sweet coxed the crew of Phoebe Cunningham, Molly Gasior, Lucia Logue-Perron, Nataly Martinez, Morgan Brown, Larkin Hanna, Liz Petska and Delaney Szwast.

The varsity sweepers rounded out the women's events by sending three Collegiate 4+ entries down the course. The top two entries, following a week of reshuffling and competitive practices, covered the 5K within two seconds of each other, finishing in 22:03.4 and 22:05.5. The race was a classic battle between a boat with stronger ergs and one with smooth, consistent execution, landing the crews in fifth and sixth place, respectively. League rivals William Smith, RIT and Rochester finished in the top spots. IC's third entry finished 10th in the 14-boat field.

Lineups in these 4+ entries were:
A – Sagaas, Stewart, Mamakos, Sernick, Fisch (cox)
B – Connor, Benedict, Katsaras, Cuoco, Morandi (cox)
C – Van Jura, Melveney, Kartsonas, Veracka, Hall (cox)

Next week, the Bombers will send one women's 8+ and one men's 8+ to Boston for the Head of the Charles. Fans can find the team on the Cornell trailer in the grassy parking area about 300 meters up from the finish line. The Collegiate 8+ races are scheduled for Sunday at 3:01 and 3:39 p.m.