SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The seventh-ranked William Smith rowing team competed at the 2025 Liberty League Championships on Fish Creek this morning. The Herons' morning was highlighted by the second varsity eight, which claimed a gold medal.
William Smith also had a varsity eight and a third varsity eight entered in the conference championship. The Herons 1V finished second, and the third varsity eight competed in the second varsity eight race, finishing fourth overall.
Racing was contested on the 2,000-meter Fish Creek course. Racing began in overcast conditions that transitioned into partly sunny skies. The rowers dealt with a slight headwind throughout the course.
SECOND VARSITY EIGHT
- William Smith's 2V8 was driven by Lizzy Whitney, Aubrianna Ryan, Syd Morrison, Olivia Helms, Lily Liflander, Nora Smith, Raya Schwartz, Emily Clark, and Lily Keefe.
- In the first 500 meters, the William Smith 2V had a powerful start, racing neck and neck with Ithaca.
- The Herons broke away at the 1000-meter mark and used a strong push to create open water between the two crews.
- Holding onto their advantage, the 2V8 crossed the finish buoys with a time of 7:53.075. They beat the Bombers by just over three seconds.
VARSITY EIGHT
- The Herons' first varsity was powered by Ava Lee, Meghan Bartholomay, Linnea Darius, Kate Abdalla, Leah Wiebe, Cheyenne Muldowney, Grace Jung, Alayna Wian, and Olivia Sainsbury.
- The 1V had the best start out of the stakeboat and broke away from the field early, but was caught by Ithaca and Skidmore in the first 500 meters.
- At the 1,000-meter mark, Ithaca sprinted ahead of the field with the Herons hanging tight.
- The Bombers turned in one final sprint and crossed the line first, 4.6 seconds ahead of William Smith.
- The Herons stopped the clock at 7:32.617
- With the victory, Ithaca, which is ranked sixth in the nation, claimed the Liberty League Title and the automatic bid into the NCAA Championship.
THIRD VARSITY EIGHT
COACH'S CORNER
"Our team continues to develop championship speed and ability," Head Coach
Paul Bugenhagen said. "The team has improved significantly in the past year and I thought the depth and quality of our team stood out today. Our 3V has had a dominant regular season inside the league, and when none of the other Liberty League teams opted to enter a 3V eight, they were bumped up into the 2V event. It was awesome to see them lean into the challenge and race for a bronze medal. Ultimately, Skidmore pulled ahead for third place at the finish line, but the spirit and competitiveness from our 3V was a point of pride for all of us cheering on the Herons. The fact that this occurred in the same race that our 2V won made this event truly special for the team. The 2V had a gutsy race with Ithaca down the whole course, with both crews holding the lead at various points. The 2V made a decisive move in the third 500 to get to the Ithaca bow ball and ultimately won the event. This is the first win in the 2V event for William Smith since 2017. The 1V's rivalry with Ithaca remains strong. Congratulations to Ithaca for defending its position as league champions. Our crew had a strong race, and much like the 2V race, both crews raced down the course side by side for most of it. Ithaca's 1V slowly built their winning margin during the last half of the race. It was a race every woman in our crew was proud of, and now we turn our attention to the NIRC championship in Worcester next Sunday."
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action on Sunday, May 11, when it heads to Worcester, Massachusetts. For the National Invitational Rowing Championships.
