Women's Rowing Wins Twice at Orange Challenge Cup

Final Results (row2k.com)

BOSTON - The Penn women's rowing team won two of four races Saturday morning at the Orange Challenge Cup, taking first over host Northeastern and Syracuse in both the varsity 8 and second varsity 8 races. The Orange Challenge Cup was held on the Charles River this year.

"It was a really exciting day for us," said Head Coach Mike Lane. "We had great weather for racing, and lifting a 16-year drought was a huge weight off our shoulders. I think today showed our women that they have the potential to do great things, and the work they are putting in is paying off with character-building performances like we saw today."

Penn's winning time of 6:54.7 over the 2,000-meter course in the varsity 8 race marked the Quakers' first win at this level in the Orange Challenge since 1995. Northeastern had won the varsity 8 race four of the last five years, but finished second this year in 6:57.5. Syracuse was a distant third in 7:07.3.

In the second varsity 8 race, Penn's 7:07.8 was four seconds ahead of Northeastern (7:11.9) and still well ahead of third-place Syracuse (7:20.8).

Northeastern took first in the varsity 4 race, clocking 8:03.4 to edge Penn's A boat by just under two seconds. The Quakers finished in 8:05.2, while Penn's B boat was third in the race in 8:17.7. Syracuse was fourth, in 8:26.2.

NU also took first in the third varsity 8 race, in 7:30.6. Penn was second (7:36.6), while Syracuse was third (7:53.9).

Penn returns to action next Saturday, competing for the Raritan Cup with Cornell and Rutgers. This year's Raritan Cup races will take place in Ithaca, N.Y.