United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Women's Crew

GOLD RIVER, CA.--(5/31/08)--A day after making history at the NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Championships, the Coast Guard varsity eight placed sixth in the Grand Final, the Bears best finish since placing fifth in the 2004 season.

Coast Guard, a day earlier, became the first Division III at-large eight to reach the Grand Final. The NCAA invites seven teams and two at-large eights to the Division III Championships each season.

The Bears reached their preseason goal of being in the Grand Final at the NCAA Championship with a shot at its first national championship. Coast Guard finishes the season as the fifth best varsity eight in the nation which is remarkable when considering the size of the Coast Guard Academy, which has about 300 women total.

In the Grand Final, Trinity led from start to finish posting a time of 6:57.01 to win the race while Williams I and II boats placed second and third giving Williams the team national championship.

Puget Sound placed fourth in the varsity eight race with a time of 7:08.23 followed by Ithaca (7:13.55) and Coast Guard (7:20.05).

The Bears were making their second straight appearance at the NCAA Championship and third in the last four years. Coast Guard placed eighth in both 2005 and 2007.

The varsity eight consists of four seniors; coxswain Tenley Barna, All-American Adriana Knies, Emily Holt and Sarah Southard, a trio of juniors, Maggie Ward, Lauren Milici and Rory Keegan and a pair of freshmen Kate Dacimo and Sarah Jane Otey.

It was the third NCAA Championship appearance for Knies, the second straight for Holt, Southard, Ward and Milici and the first for Barna, Keegan, Dacimo and Otey, who will look to lead the Bears back for a third straight season next year.