By Maria Trivelpiece

The Fordham University women’s rowing team always carries themselves to the highest of standards, making the Varsity 8+’s sixth place finish in its qualifying heat and the JV 8+’s sixth-place finish in its grand final at the Cooper Cup Invitational two weeks ago disappointing. The finishes had an added sting when you consider the Rams had been coming off being named Atlantic 10 Boat of the Week.

Looking for redemption, the Rams headed to the Kerr Cup in Philadelphia this past Saturday, where they enjoyed a solid bounce back.

In its first heat of the day, the Varsity 8+ snagged first place with a time of 7:24.82. Senior Caroline Hamann said that both Varsity 8+ and JV 8+ boats focused on being more “humble and hungry” going into races after initially posting fast times. She said that the boats “need to enter finals races with as much aggression as the heats.” This strategy seemed to work, as the Fordham Varsity 8+ would then go on to compete in the grand final, where it took third overall with a time of 7:22.16. That finish placed Fordham behind Drexel and A-10 foe Rhode Island.

The JV 8+ also finished third overall in its grand final with a time of 7:36.43 (also behind Rhode Island and Drexel). The team reached the grand final by finishing second in its qualifying heat with a time of 7:42.53.

The Rams did not stop here, with three total boats racing at the 4+ level. In Varsity 4+ A, the Rams finished fourth in their qualifier with a time of 9:11.13, which kept them from qualifying for the grand final.

In Varsity 4+ B, however, the Rams had much more success. The Rams had two boats, and each took second in their respective heats with times of 9:28.38 and 8:50.16. Fordham 4+ B won the grand final with a time of 8:47.33, and Team A finished fourth with a time of 9:23.75.

From the beginning of the season, the goal for the Rams has been to bring home the Atlantic 10 Championship. However, in order to do so, sophomore Erika Selakowski says that it is crucial for each team to “mesh as boats.” After the showing this weekend at the Kerr Cup, it seems as though this collaboration is happening even quicker than hoped for.

Next weekend, the Fordham University women’s rowing team will head to Cherry Hill, New Jersey where it will compete in the Cherry Hill Invitational. The Rams will look to snag some more victories and continue on their quest to the Atlantic 10 Championship and beyond.