Villanova’s rowing team put together a weekend of steady progress at the Lake Wheeler Invitational, April 24-25, in North Carolina in multiple season-best performances against a competitive, nationally ranked field.
On Friday, three Wildcat boats posted significant improvements, with each dropping at least four seconds from previous marks. The Varsity Eight led the way, delivering two sub-seven-minute races, including a strong third-place finish in its second heat. The crew of senior Cate Donnelly, senior Maggie Coyne, sophomore Jalyn Colon, sophomore Sylvia Marks, sophomore Ava DeJong, freshman Ella Cooper, freshman Farrah Bardouille, senior Sarah Robillard, and sophomore Natalia Peng opened with a 6:44.760 before following it up with a 6:51.380, to finish behind only No. 15 Alabama and No. 22 North Carolina.
Villanova saw similar gains across the lineup. The 2V8 turned in a 7:02.690, while the V4 steadily improved throughout the day, and closed with a 7:47.470, a 3-second improvement from its first round run. The 3V8 also gained valuable race experience by opening its spring slate with a fifth-place finish in its first heat.
The Wildcats carried that momentum into Saturday, where the improvements continued. Two boats broke the seven-minute mark, highlighted by a weekend-best 6:43.960 from the Varsity Eight in its final race. The time marked Villanova’s fastest performance at Lake Wheeler since last season and capped off another consistent showing from the top boat.
The 2V8 saw one of the biggest jumps of the weekend, and dropped nearly six seconds from Friday to finish in 6:56.020, while the V4 continued its upward trend with a season-best 7:42.480. The 3V8 once again opened the day, delivering Villanova’s highest placement on Saturday and edging out George Washington for a fifth-place finish.
“I’m proud of everyone who raced for the V this weekend,” Head Coach Carissa Adams said. “It was fun to compete against some of the top programs in the country.”
With a weekend full of measurable progress behind it, Villanova now turns its attention to the postseason.
The Wildcats will have a brief break from competition before competing at the CAA Rowing Championships on May 15–16 in Pennsauken, NJ.
