May 4, 2003

WHITNEY POINT, N.Y.--The Hobart crew team came away from the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships this weekend with a pair of medals, capturing gold in the varsity four competition and silver in the varsity eight event. The Statesmen bested 17 other boats in the fours and were the runners up in the 12-boat field in the eights.

Hobart captured the gold in the varsity four competition, the first in the program's history, in convincing fashion. The Statesmen won their opening heat on Saturday by nearly 20 seconds with a time of 6:46.54. In Sunday's grand final, juniors Mike Fazio (Lakeland/Mohegan Lake, N.Y.) and Tyler Spence (St. Ignatius College Prep/Lakeshore, Ill.) and first-years Timothy Faxon (Salsbury/Pelham, N.Y.), Daniel Gilbert (Brighton/Rochester, N.Y.), and Gavin Johnstone-Butcher (St. Paul's School (N.H.)/Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) posted an impressive eight second victory over the second place boat from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

In the varsity eight races, Hobart garnered the silver medal thanks to the efforts of seniors Kevin Stevenson (South Burlington/South Burlington, Vt.) and Dave Undercoffler (Ithaca/Canandaigua, N.Y.), juniors Haviland Campbell (LaSalle/Philadelphia, Pa.) and Sarah Roberts (Burnt Hills Ballston Lake/Burnt Hills, N.Y.), sophomores Mike Hoepp (Choate Rosemary Hall/Bedford, N.H.), Matthew Monbouquette (Moses Brown/Warwick, R.I.), and Brandon Currie (Wilsonville/Lake Oswego, Ore.), and first-years John Michael Chadonic (The Lawrenceville School/New York, N.Y.) and Gardner Loring (Middlesex/Duxbury, Mass.). The Statesmen finished behind Dowling College in 6:08.2, and ahead of 10 other crews including Ithaca, a team that beat Hobart earlier this season.

The finish is the second best for the Statesmen in the varsity eight competition. Hobart won the state championship in 1996.

Hobart will return to action on May 10-11, in the ECAC Championships in Camden, N.J.