Marist Rowing Wins 2021 MAAC Championship

By Connor Giblin

PENNSAUKEN TOWNSHIP, NJ – Marist Women’s Rowing successfully defended its title and won the 2021 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship on Sunday afternoon on the Cooper River.

The Red Foxes secure their second consecutive title, sweeping the Varsity 4, Varsity 8 and Second Varsity 8 Grand Finals for 54 points. This is Marist’s 12th title in program history.

Varsity 4 Grand Final
The lineup featured: Breana Pelliccio (Cox), Mary Schone (Stroke), Victoria Hamilton (3), Sophia Ledda (2), Hilary Anderson (Bow)

The third-seeded Foxes faced off against Drake, Stetson, Jacksonville, Fairfield, and Sacred Heart from Lane 4.

Marist and Jacksonville were even in the opening push, but the Red Foxes gained a three-seat advantage at the 500m mark.

Three-and-a-half minutes in, the Red Foxes extended their lead to open water as they breezed past the midway point.

The Dolphins cut their deficit to four seats in the final 500m, but Marist never relinquished the lead, crossing the finish line in 7:58.042 to take the gold. Jacksonville was second in 8:00.146.

Second Varsity 8 Grand Final
The lineup featured: Kathryn Moody (Cox), Sara Barker (Stroke), Elizabeth Kelly (7), McKenna Klineyoung (6), Emma Jauch (5), Natalia Miklos (4), Olivia Nasternak (3), Avalon Johnson (2), Jasmine Miller (Bow)

The second-seeded Foxes battled Manhattan, Stetson, Jacksonville, Fairfield, and Sacred Heart from Lane 4.

After going stroke-for-stroke with Jacksonville in the first quarter, Marist picked up three seats for an early lead.

The Red Foxes made their move after 1,000m, moving a full length ahead in the final stretch.
Marist clocked in at 6:58.534 for the gold, finishing with slight open water ahead of the second-place Dolphins at 7:03.556.

Varsity 8 Grand Final
The lineup featured: Olivia Siyahian (Cox), Marie Ryden (Stroke), Lydia Giguere (7), Selena Mildon (6), Sydney Ford (5), Lauren Muhr (4), Ashley Surette (3), Caroline Voorhis (2), Genevieve Anderson (Bow)

The third-seeded Foxes took on Drake, Stetson, Jacksonville, Sacred Heart, and Canisius from Lane 4.

The Hatters, Dolphins, and Red Foxes were tied in the first 500m, with Stetson holding a narrow lead.

Marist and Jacksonville battled for the second spot midway through while Stetson took a four-seat advantage.

The Red Fox crew overtook Jacksonville’s crew in the second half of the race, and closed the gap on Stetson with 500m left.

Marist and Stetson needed a photo finish to decide the race, but earned the gold medal in 6:41.274, 16-thousandths ahead of the Hatters.

Head Coach/Director of Rowing Tom Sanford was named MAAC Coach of the Year. It is his second-career honor after winning the award in 2019.

Receiving the program’s third-ever automatic qualifier, Marist learns of the field for the 2021 NCAA Championships with the selection show on Tuesday, May 18th on NCAA.com. The NCAA Championships take place from May 28th to 30th at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL.