Under cloudy skies with a chill in the air, Stetson rowing took home hardware again at a regional regatta. Racing against the field of sixty-plus universities and over 1,000 competitors the team started off with the novices rowing strong to fifth place in the grand final.  Coxswain Callie Peacock, Amanda Ponce, Shannon McCarthy, Chloe Blackketer and Alicja Duda raced incredibly strong against far larger programs including Florida, and Michigan.

Placing second in 2011 and first in 2010, the women's lightweight four lost to Clemson in the grand final.  "We were ahead at the start and up to the 500, then they got away from us in the middle 1000," said senior Caitlin Burke.

The senior men took third in the B final to finish ninth overall, being edged out by Marietta College and Oklahoma City University.  The men raced sub-seven minutes for 2000 meters in a 6:57.75.  

The SIRA regionals are used to seed the national Dad Vail Regatta where Stetson will compete in May.  Until then, the championship crews of Priscilla White in the women's single, a light women's four, men's pair and women's pair of Shay Martin and Christy Ruane take the next 3 weeks to prepare to race before 50,000 fans against 6,000 competitors at the Dad Vails in Philadelphia on Mother's Day weekend, May 11-12.