This past week, Villanova rowing competed at the Bucknell Invitational for the final race of its
fall season. It ended the day with a total of five wins over Bucknell and Lehigh. This was the sixth-consecutive year the Wildcats competed in the Bucknell Invitational on the Susquehanna River.
The Wildcats had a strong performance at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, which took place a few weeks prior to this weekend’s invite. They were able to post two fourth-place finishes and five top-20 finishes overall.
Senior Gianna Zajac, junior Maggie Coyne, senior Kira Capaldi, freshman Sylvia Marks, freshman Jalyn Colon, graduate Jadyn Ramos, graduate Cecilia Jenkins, junior Sarah Robillard and freshman Bailey Bryan made up Villanova’s team for the V8 races. In the first round, the ‘Cats crossed the line in 3:01.27 with a close win over Lehigh’s time of 3:06.96. In the second round, Villanova gained some more distance over the Mountain Hawks, finishing in 3:10.15 with Lehigh posting a 3:17.02. Their final race had the largest margin of victory of the three races, with Villanova winning in 3:23.02, besting Lehigh’s 3:31.48.
The 2V8 featured junior Cate Donnelly, freshman Natalia Peng, sophomore Silvana Torres, senior Grace Quirk, senior Isabella Thorne, freshman Olivia Weglarz, freshman Sarah McKee, freshman Ella Carriero and sophomore Mary Tracy. The team finished behind Lehigh in all three of its races. The ‘Cats posted a 3:14.52 finish in the first round behind the Mountain Hawk’s time of 3:09.63. In the second piece Villanova crossed in 3:22.18, trailing Lehigh’s 3:18.38. The final race saw the Wildcats post a 3:36.85, only a few seconds behind Lehigh’s winning time of 3:33.89.
Villanova’s Varsity 4 were ultimately defeated in all three races against Lehigh. The first group, with freshman Kate Shipley, sophomore Natalia Brozyna, freshman Ava DeJong, freshman Maddie Sumnar and sophomore Taylor Pansy came in at 3:40.07 with Lehigh’s boat crossing in 3:33.32. Villanova then adjusted its lineup, moving sophomore Meg Wolf into the one seat. It was defeated by the Mountain Hawks in the second race. The ‘Cats posted a 3:54.17, with Lehigh registering a 3:46.60. In the third and final Varsity 4 race, ‘Cats fell once again with a 4:10.0. Lehigh crossed in 3:57.19.
The Novice 8 boat contained freshmen Izzy Cericola, Brynn Moller, Mary Eagle, Anna Primmer, Megan Theis, Isabelle Rotival, Caroline Kenneally, Lilly-Kate Foley and Abigail Saraceno. The group was able to achieve a couple wins over Bucknell’s D and B teams. In the second round, the Wildcats crossed in 4:12.52, gaining a definitive win over Bucknell, who came in with a 4:46.43 finish. The final event of the day had a 4:02.25 finish for Villanova, with the Bison crossing the line in 4:15.64.
“We had a great Fall and it is exciting to watch the team stay on pace,” Villanova head coach Carissa Adams said. “They are all working hard and each go into practice committed to the performance standards that it will take to create a championship season. I am proud of the strides we have made as a program and encouraged about the upcoming spring campaign.”
This year marks Adams’ ninth season at the helm of the Villanova Rowing program. Since arriving at Villanova, she has coached the team to two third place finishes at the CAA Conference Championships. She has also coached 13 All-CAA honorees since 2016.
For now, Wildcats will enter their winter season training for the next few months. They will compete for the first time in the spring season in a scrimmage at Jacksonville University on Mar. 9, 2025.
