W. Crew finishes third at Connell

Despite strong races by all of its boats, the Penn women's crew team finished third in the three-team Connell Cup competition last weekend in New Haven, Conn.

The Quakers' varsity eight finished in last place behind Columbia and host Yale with a time of 6:59.5. The Elis finished first with a time of 6:42.9.

The Quakers were able to claim one first place finish in the second novice eight race. It was that boat's first regatta of the season.

The Red and Blue grabbed second in three races -- the varsity four posted a time of 8:16.1, the novice eight finished in 7:07.1 and the varsity four-B completed the course in 8:15.5.

"We're not disappointed in the sense that we didn't win," Penn sophomore Christine Reilly said. "I didn't feel like we rowed poorly -- we're just starting our season and it's going to come together."

The second varsity eight placed third against the Elis and the Lions with a time of 7:11.9.

"We could have done better," Penn junior Saskia Gex said. "We'll beat them later in the season."

Despite an unsatisfying first race, the Quakers have not lost confidence. They are relying on their strong team unity to bring them success this season.

"We're really positive, we don't get down on ourselves and we're always looking to improve," Reilley said.

The Red and Blue will now have two weeks off before facing Northeastern and Syracuse on April 13 in Boston.

The break will not be a time to relax, however, as the Quakers will work even harder to sustain their hopes of nabbing a spot in the NCAA championships on May 31.

Syracuse always presents a challenge in the water. The Orangewomen beat Penn last year in Boston with a strong varsity race.

Northeastern is also likely to be competitive, but the Quakers hope to achieve victory over them for the second straight year.

"They're both solid teams, we have a good chance because we're all about the same level," said Gex. "Besides, we're missing Fling, so we have to win."

Penn is backed by a solid group of returning varsity rowers as well as a talented freshman class. Megan Wellington -- the only freshman on varsity -- is expected to contribute greatly to the team's success. The Quakers expect that these strengths will help them continue becoming increasingly competative each year.

"We know we're good," Reilley said, "and we want to show people that and get the respect for all the work we've been doing."

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