Pennsauken Township, NJ – The Stetson women's rowing team didn't have the kind of finish they had hoped for at the 2022 MAAC Championship, but the Hatters set the stage for future seasons with their efforts this year.
 
The Hatters finished fourth in the nine-team championship, reaching the primary final in each of the four race categories – Varsity 8, Second Varsity 8 and Varsity 4.
 
"We knew going in to this weekend that the finals were going to be close," first year Stetson coach Jamie Francis said. "Everyone on our team did exactly what they were supposed to do. All of our boats progressed to the A Final and raced their best race of the year in their last race of the year."
 
It was the Varsity 4 crew of sophomore Coxswain Cassandra Bradley with rowers senior Ashley Winans, freshman Brooke Bell, sophomore Sadie Jensen and sophomore Katrina Early that got things started for the Hatters, earning a third-place finish in a stacked heat race.
 
Jacksonville, which took gold in all four race categories in route to its sixth MAAC title, won the heat with a time of 7:50.628 with Sacred Heart (+37.395) and Stetson (+1:03.642) advancing to the final as well. In the event final, JU posted a blistering time of 7:36.942 to take gold a full boat length in front of second place Fairfield. The Hatters finished fifth.
 
In the second varsity 8 heat race, the Hatters' boat, which was led by 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, again had to square off against rival JU.
 
The Hatters kept pace with the Dolphins for most of the race before JU crossed the line first with a time of 7:11.238, just 6.23 seconds ahead of the Stetson boat in second. Both crews, along with Sacred Heart, advanced to the final later in the day. Again, Jacksonville set an incredibly fast pace, winning with a time of 7:00.666. Fairfield and Marist were the closest in pursuit with Stetson finishing fourth, 23.282 seconds behind.
 
Stetson's first Varsity 8, with junior Coxswain Gianna Robinson with rowers Germaine Smart-Marshall, sophomore Hannah Hardey, graduate Channing Scott, freshman Emma Rees, sophomore Cailin Mitchell, sophomore Mallory Holland, freshman Jocalyn Ortega, and graduate Karirose Engel, squared off against Fairfield, Drake and Canisius in its heat race, posting a time of 6:55.572 to finish 4.343 seconds behind the Stags in second, earning a spot in the main final.
 
Jacksonville was once again the crew to beat in the final race of the championship, posting a time of 6:41.512 to take gold with Marist (+2.7) and Stetson (+4.77) just behind for silver and bronze.
 
Following the championship, the MAAC announced All-Conference selections. Stetson's Germaine Smart-Marshall earned first team honors while Karirose Engel and Channing Scott earned second team.
 
"I want to recognize our teammates who are graduating from the team," Francis said. "Ashley, Channing and Karirose have helped to make this team competitive and provided me with perspective this year, even if it didn't always seem like I was paying attention. They will be missed."
 
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.