Williams Women’s Crew to Defend Its NCAA Rowing Title in Indianapolis
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Kate Maloney's Williams College women's crew team has been selected as an at-large entrant to the 2014 NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Championships slated for Indianapolis May 30 and June 1.
Maloney, in her third year at the helm of the Ephs, will be taking her third Eph team to the championship event, which Williams has won the past eight years under four different head coaches.
Williams is making its 11th consecutive appearance in the Division III event and previously had qualified for the NCAA Women's Rowing Championship five times before the Division III event was created in 2002.
The Ephs won the inaugural NCAA Division III Women's Rowing title in 2002 held in Indianapolis and since the Division III event began Williams has only missed qualifying in 2003.
For the first time since 2005 the Ephs did not win the NESCAC's automatic bid to the championship as they finished second in the 1 Varsity race to Bates at the ECAC Championships Sunday on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester.
Bates and Williams will be joined at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis by NESCAC foes Trinity and Wesleyan.
"It's been a full team effort from freshmen walk-ons to the seniors and we did not get this far without everyone being on board," said Maloney of the At-Large bid extended to her team Monday night on the NCAA Selection Show.
The Ephs gathered in Thoms Lounge in the Chandler Athletic Center to view the selections. Six teams will be competing in 1 Varsity and 2 Varsity boats and two teams will compete with just their 1 Varsity boat. All four NESCAC teams will have two boats racing along with Wellesley College and Washington College (MD). The University of Puget Sound and William Smith College will fill out the field, but will only have their 1 Varsity boat competing.
"We're still in the process of finding our top end speed and we expect over the next three weeks that we will go to the NCAAs with our two fastest boats," Maloney stated. "I'm excited to get back to work and look forward to working with these women in our pursuit of team speed."