BOSTON-The William Smith College rowing team competed in the 54th annual Head of the Charles Regatta today. The Herons finished 16th in the women's collegiate eight event at the world's largest two day regatta.
 
In a 28-crew field, William Smith needed to finish in the top half of the field to qualify for next year's regatta. Susan Hurwitz, Emma Falkenstein, Molly Dexter, Camila Goclowski, Lucy Brancazio, Taryn Wenberg, Annie Wertheimer, Sarah Laferrera, and Emma Lubrano were 16th at all three check points. They crossed the finish line with a time of 19:52.188. The Herons will have to enter the lottery to return to the Charles in 2019.

"The weekend's conditions were challenging both Saturday and Sunday," Head Coach Sandra Chu said.  "Crews raced in 20 mph headwinds with surprising gusts of 30+ mph coming from all directions down the course. I saw a lot of coxswains struggling with holding their courses because their boats were getting blown across the river in unpredictable ways. I think the crew handled the wind extremely well. They were patient and aggressive and attacked when they could, staying composed when the wind buffeted them. It is a pity that their efforts did not translate into an automatic qualifier for next year but I am not in any way disappointed in their performance. This is a crew that trends toward the smaller end so the head wind held us back more than larger crews. We rowed to our highest level in conditions that just didn't favor us. I know that we have good speed and excellent will. Our future, and indeed our present, is bright."

 On Saturday, Heron alumnae competed in the alumnae eights event.  William Smith finished 16th out of 38 teams, qualifying for next year's regatta. Suzie Tuvell '16, Rebecca Gutwin Coons '06, Libby Hughes '14, Anola Stage '15, Jessica Mahon '08, Emily Anderson Taylor '15, Caroline DeWeirdt '15, Carcy Chandler '11, and Alex Belden '15 traversed the 3-mile course with a time of 18:55.287.

"This crew rowed a great race with the result to show it," Chu said.  "Not only were they the first DIII alumnae 8+ over the line, but they also qualified their boat for next year. They brought a lot of competitive fire and determination to the course. I love that these women not only continue to fly for William Smith, but also continue to contribute to the current team's speed. Their performance inspired our eight on Sunday. It was a privilege to see the current team assisting our alumnae both before the race and after and then to watch the many alumnae who came out to support the team return the favor on Sunday. Our nest is truly well-feathered."

 The current Herons are back in action at the Head of the Fish in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Saturday, Oct. 27.