Pennsauken Township, NJ – The quest for a conference title is on for the Stetson women's rowing team this Sunday when the Hatters compete in the 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship.
 
The Hatters had their best ever finish in the event last year, placing a close third, just two points behind rival Jacksonville as both teams look to close the gap to two-time defending MAAC champion Marist.
 
Other teams set to compete on the Cooper River, which runs from Pennsauken through Cherry Hill, NJ, are Canisius, Drake, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart. Racing will begin on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. with heat races in three divisions – Varsity 4, second Varsity 8 and Varsity 8 – with a total of 13 races scheduled for the day. There are also races for a second Varsity 4 boat that does not count toward the team standings.
 
First year Stetson coach Jamie Francis said his team has had to overcome a lot this year, especially with regard to changes within the coaching staff, but the squad he has remaining has worked hard.
 
"We've made some great progress since my arrival in October," Francis said. "We're a smaller team that when I arrived, but these women are hungry to continue to progress within the conference.
 
"We started back in the fall with just one coach for both the men and women's teams, but these athletes have done a great job of staying focused on preparing for this weekend."
 
After earning second, third and fifth place finishes at the 2021 MAAC Championship, the Hatters hope to see each boat improve their finish this year. Francis said that, in working to achieve that improvement, he had to make some changes in hopes of seeing improvement. He singled out junior Germaine Smart-Marshall as one rower who did the work needed to help the team improve.
 
"She stroked the Varsity 8 last year, but I pulled her out of that season when I got here because she wasn't rowing the way I thought she should," Francis said. "She worked hard to make the adjustments I was looking for and worked her way back into that seat. She is the same athlete, but a different rower."
 
As a young team, Stetson has just three athletes who will compete for a conference title for the last time – rowers Karirose Engel, Channing Scott and Ashley Winans.
 
"They have helped with the growth of this program for the last four or five years, but we are a young team," Francis said. "We have a lot of young talent who are helping to elevate Stetson rowing."
 
In addition to elevating the program on the water, 11 members of the 2021-22 Stetson team elevated their performances in the class room this year, earning a position on the 2022 MAAC All-Academic team. To earn a spot on the All-Academic squad, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum 3.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
 
Stetson's 2022 All-Academic squad members are:
Junior Jadielyn Cruz-Bianchi (Aquatic Biology), junior Frances del Toro (Health Science), sophomore Katrina Early (Psychology), graduate Karirose Engel (MBA), sophomore Mallory Holland (Global Development), sophomore Sadie Jensen (Business), sophomore Kara Kivenas (Health Science), sophomore Cailin Mitchell (Biology), sophomore Christen Robinson (Accounting), graduate Channing Scott (Management) and junior Germaine Smart Marshall (Biology).
 
Stetson's crews for the three events at the 2022 MAAC Championship are:
 
Varsity 8 - Junior Coxswain Gianna Robinson with rowers Smart-Marshall, sophomore Hannah Hardey, graduate Channing Scott, freshman Emma Rees, sophomore Cailin Mitchell, sophomore Mallory Holland, freshman Jocalyn Ortega, and graduate Karirose Engel.
 
Second Varsity 8 – Freshman Coxswain Sarah Sessions with rowers junior Madison Geib, freshman Asia Erickson, junior Frances del Toro, freshman Julia Hickey, freshman Brooklynn Poff, freshman Cheyenne Justice, sophomore Taylor Hufford and junior Rebecca Naser.
 
Varsity 4 – Sophomore Coxswain Cassandra Bradley with rowers senior Ashley Winans, freshman Brooke Bell, sophomore Sadie Jensen and sophomore Katrina Early.
 
Live coverage of the races is available on ESPN+ with a morning race schedule from 10-11 a.m. and an afternoon session starting at 1 p.m. Live race results and team standings will be updated throughout the day on the MAAC web site.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.