ITHACA, N.Y.-The No. 13 William Smith College rowing team opened the spring portion of its schedule on the Cayuga Inlet today. The Herons competed against the No. 4 host Bombers and Johnson and Wales today.
 
"We were focused on putting together a complete race that had gutsy qualities from start to finish," Head Coach Sandra Chu said. "While we would have liked the results to have been in our favor, we were very pleased with the way both boats executed the process in the morning racing."
 
The Herons first varsity eight opened the morning's racing against Ithaca. With low water conditions and strong tailwinds combining for fast conditions, sophomore Susan Hurwitz, sophomore Molly Dexter, sophomore Taryn Wenberg, first-year Annie Wertheimer, sophomore Sarah Laferrera, sophomore Julia Walters, junior Anna Moreau, sophomore Emma Falkenstein, and senior Lizzy Houston stopped the clock with a time of 6:52.0. The Bombers won the head-to-head race with a time of 6:47.8.
 
"It was exciting to see the boat execute a strong start and a power shift," Chu said. "We led the race for the first 1250 meters but couldn't hang on in the end. We didn't have the sprint we were capable of."
 
The second varsity eight also faced Ithaca head-to-head this morning. The Bombers crossed the line with a time of 7:07.46. The Herons finished with a time of 7:29.76.
 
In the second round of racing, the first varsity was matched up against Johnson and Wales. The Herons flew off the line and beat the Wildcats by 37.1 seconds. Hurwitz, Dexter, Wenberg, Wertheimer, Laferrera, Walters, Moreau, Falkenstein and Houston powered down the course to a time of 7:02.1. William Smith's second varsity eight took on Ithaca's third varsity eight in its second race. The Bombers edged the Herons at the line by seven-tenths of a second.
 
"We were definitely more technically sound in the second race but we didn't have as much urgency as we wanted," Chu said. "In both races we learned that there are small key elements of our racing strategy that we can improve upon. Today's races are great starting points for us. We've got a clear path to more speed and the skills to attain it."
 
William Smith will be back in action next Saturday, April 6, when it welcomes No. 2 Williams and No. 8 Wellesley to Geneva. Racing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Hellstrom Boathouse.