ECAC Silver Medalists: Hobart's Varsity Eight and Varsity Four

May 11, 2003

MERCER, N.J.--Two seniors on the Hobart College crew team missed commencement exercises this weekend to participate in the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships on the Cooper River. However, the weekend did have a silver lining, in fact it had two.

The Statesmen brought home silver medals in the varsity eight and varsity four events. Both seniors, Kevin Stevenson (South Burlington/South Burlington, Vt.) and David Undercoffler (Ithaca/Canandaigua, N.Y.), helped the varsity eight to the program's strongest showing in the ECAC Championships (formerly AVAYA Championships), besting 16 of the 17 competing eights.

The No. 2 spot was a familiar place for Hobart this weekend. The Statesmen eight placed second to George Washington University in their opening day heat. Hobart was also second in its semifinal heat to Marist, less than a second behind the winning boat from Marist.

Sunday's Grand Finale was a tightly contested race in windy conditions. The Statesmen captured second, edging the Red Foxes by just a single tenth of a second. Hobart finished 2.86 seconds behind the winning boat from the University of Michigan (6:00.82).

Hobart's varsity four won its opening heat by open water over second place Vassar College (-9.28 seconds) to earn a spot in Sunday's Grand Final. While the Statesmen finished six seconds behind a strong boat from the University of North Carolina, Hobart's four had a solid hold on second place, holding a 3.14 second lead over the third place Wolverines.

The Statesmen will return to New Jersey on May 28 through May 31 to compete in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Collegiate Championships. Hobart is entering the event as a varsity eight for the first time in school history. The Statesmen also will compete in the freshmen four with coxswain.