March 5, 2016
WINTER PARK, Fla. - The UCF rowing team won five of seven events to claim its sixth-straight Robin Yeuell Trophy at the 36th Annual Metro Cup on Saturday.
The Varsity Eight, consisting of Olivia Hecimovich, Edvina Nesukaityte, Viktorija Senkute, Ashleigh Boyd, Marija Medelinskaite, Olivia Staples, Jasmine Blais, Rachael Klunder and Leonie Hamel, started the day off with an open-water win. The Knights posted a time of 6:34 , more than 10 seconds faster than second-place Duquesne.
Lining up next, UCF's Varsity Four squad, consisting of Jillian Jernas, Anna Mahoney, Jazmin Sepulveda, Vitoria Artmann and Shannon Perry, kept things exciting in the race. The Knights posted a winning time of 7:36.3 to edge Duquesne for first place.
The Novice Eight boat, consisting of Melissa Hebel, Camila Velez, Kathleen Kuesters, Laney Palmquist, Christine Bralich, Danielle De La Pascua, Emily Alvarez, Elizabeth Guzman and Courtney Diver, finished third with a time of 7:27.5.
The Second Varsity Eight, consisting of Kristen Taylor, Aly Derksen, Lauren Wasko, Dani Burton, Sarah Gordon, Amy Compare, Julia Chase, Danielle Taylor and Erin Corrigan, kept the momentum going for the Knights in the fourth race of the day. The Black and Gold posted a winning time of 6:53, more than four seconds ahead of second-place Duquesne.
UCF's Second Varsity Four squad, consisting of Ashley Martin, Catherine Johnston, Grace Lindberg, Rachel Rabinowitz and Sydney Hays, came up just short in the race, finishing second with a time of 7:48.1
UCF and Duquesne lined up for a Third Varsity Four race. The Black and Gold boat, consisting of Catherine Harms, Brianne Addison, Allie Gordon, Andrea Hebditch and Rachel diMonda, finished in 7:55.6 for an open-water win in the event.
The Novice Four boat, consisting of Erica Jimenez, Camila Velez, Kathleen Kuesters, Taylor Day and Laney Palmquist, closed out the race with UCF's fifth win of the day. The Knights posted a time of 8:08.5, four seconds faster than Rollins.
UCF heads to North Carolina for a week of training before making the trek to Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Knights will compete at the two-day Cardinal Invite March 12-13, before returning to Lake Pickett to host UConn on March 18.
Final Results
Varsity Eight
1. UCF 6:34
2. Duquesne 6:45.2
3. Villanova 6:55.5
4. Rollins 7:23.2
Varsity Four
1. UCF 7:36.3
2. Duquesne 7:37
3. Villanova 8:20.8
4. Rollins 8:22
5. Central Florida Crew 8:46.5
Freshman/Novice Eight
1. Duquesne 7:17.4
2. Villanova "A" 7:23.1
3. UCF 7:27.5
4. Villanova "B" 7:33.1
5. Rollins 7:33.6
Second Varsity Eight
1. UCF 6:53
2. Duquesne 6:57.3
3. Villanova 7:25.1
Second Varsity Four
1. Duquesne 7:48
2. UCF 7:48.1
3. Villanova 8:00
4. Rollins 8:19
Third Varsity Four
1. UCF 7:55.6
2. Duquesne 8:01
Freshman/Novice Four
1. UCF 8:08.5
2. Rollins 8:12.5
3. Duquesne 8:38
4. Central Florida Crew 8:47
Story by Megan Herboth; Photos by Avery Lee