The William Smith College rowing team hosted Liberty League foe the University of Rochester on the Seneca-Cayuga Canal yesterday.  The No. 12 Heron varsity eight took first in the first race of the evening.
 
Despite high local winds, waters were relatively calm and racing was completed without issues in head wind and head current conditions, creating slower times.  In the women's varsity eights race, William Smith established an early lead, taking about a length off the start and then progressively lengthening that margin throughout the course of the race.  The 1V of first-year Susan Hurwitz, senior Nicole Guardino, first-year Molly Dexter, sophomore Anna Moreau, sophomore Annika Linden, senior Elizabeth Warren, first-year Sarah Laferrera, sophomore Emma Lubrano, and first-year Taryn Wenberg crossed the line at 7:54.61, besting the Yellowjackets by 26 seconds (8:20.68).  The William Smith 2V of junior Hannah Baron, sophomore Giulia Acchione, first-year Emma Falkenstein, sophomore Tori Malamas, senior Carey Sevier, first-year Gillian Casserly, first-year Julia Walters, first-year Alexandra Deku, and sophomore Catherine DiCara also raced in this match-up and finished third (8:39.14).
 
The second and last race of the day was the varsity fours race.  William Smith boated two entries and Rochester entered a novice four in lieu of a varsity four.  The WS-A four powered by senior Alyssa Deem, junior Katie Frohman, junior Madelaine Hamilton,  junior Tatiana Loftus and first-year Alexandra Deku finished first with a time of 9:40.92, followed by Rochester's novice (9:52.54) and the WS-B four of first-year Rebecca LaPoint, junior Alicia Lai, junior Tori Wissa, first-year Emma Rosser, and first-year Holly Notartomaso (10:31.25). The A four also walked out in the start, established a solid margin in the first 500 and then held it steady for the middle of the race. The Rochester novice four was a steady presence, not yielding much more margin until the Herons stretched out their lead in the final 500 meters.  
 
"I think the squad did a good job adjusting to line-up changes that occurred just prior to racing," said Head Coah Sandra Chu. "We had a late injury on Wednesday night and were unable to put out the line-ups in three out of four boats that we anticipated.  The team is working on its skill of being more adaptable and today was definitely a time to practice that skill.  I think the 1V was able to put together some race components that they hadn't quite had last weekend and that growth was an important step for us.  To be able to do that amidst personnel changes was certainly impressive."
 
The Herons are back in action on Friday, May 4, when they compete in the Liberty League Championships in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Racing is scheduled to being at 2 p.m.