CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Fairfield University rowing teams sent two shells to the Head of the Charles, as the men and women were well represented by their respective four entry. And, both squads performed admirably with both the women and women qualifying for a spot in next year's event.

Women's Four
The women's four raced hard and with aggression which helped it place 18th out of 51 crews, just six seconds off of 17th place and conference foe Loyola University. That short distance may have been caused when they came together with the crew from Army, which lost the Fairfield crew precious seconds. However, their placement in the top half earned the four a guaranteed entry into the 2011 Head of the Charles.

The team included Bridget Butterworth, Katie Sillo, Jessica Keefe, Genevieve Bleidner, and coxswain Julia Merenda.

Coach Dave Patterson's View:
The women's crew was on paper arguably the fastest four we have been able to enter in my four years as head coach at Fairfield University. The top four representing the Stags have beaten conference rivals Marist and Sacred Heart (Head of the Housatonic) and Iona College (Head of the Charles) this fall. And, our four's speed shows that we are veritably breathing down the necks of two-time defending conference champion Loyola. 

Is there a way to resolve whether this is the fastest four to represent Fairfield over the past four years? Each year, the weather plays the biggest impact on times and the wind conditions on Saturday were certainly detrimental to fast times. On this metric alone, the 2010 crew took longer to get over the course than those that competed in the previous three years. Year to year strength and depth of the field also changes. The 2007 crew came 16th out of 32 crew entered, while the the 2008 crew also took 16th out of a field of 38 crews. Is it fair to say the 2009 crew was slower because they dropped to 18th? Probaly not because there were 54 crews entered that year. Likewise, the 2010 crew came 18th out of 51 crews entered. A few years ago, the metric that was used to define who would get a guaranteed entry for the following year's regatta were crews that came within five percent of the winning time. In 2007, the Fairfield crew was 7.52 percent off the winning time, while the 2008 crew was 9.79 percent off the winning time. In 2008, the Stags were 8.63 percent from the winning time. However, this year's crew was 4.82 percent off the event winning time, proving at least to me, that they are indeed the fastest combination, and the only crew to get an automatic entry basd on this old metric.

With three sophomores, one junior, and one senior in the crew, there is a heatlhy mix of experience and raw talent. As we look to close out the season with a high at the upcoming Fall Metropolitan Regatta, there is also hope that a number of rowers who have been out with injuries will return so that we can be close to full strength before heading indoors for winter training. Plus, we will have our student athletes who are studying abroad back on the roster, and ready to make their impact.

Men's Four
The men's team placed a credible 28th out of 58 crews, which also earned them the guaranteed entry for next year's race. With two freshmen rowers, a freshman coxswain, and a sophomore who joined the team last year as a walk-on, this four performed admirably. The four consisted of Ben Andrews, Matt McNeill, Brendan Spearing, Phil Falco, and coxswain Carolyn Kosewski.

Coach Dave Patterson's View:
If taking a simliar stance to the women's situation, this may be one of the slowest fours I've been able to field in my four years. To give some contest to that description, this crew of three freshmen and a sophomore had the experience of only one head race from two weeks ago. The entry did have the advantage of Ben Andrews to lead the way, who is the most medaled rower in Fairfield University history. 

However, every ttime they take to the water, they have the opportunity to learn and get so much faster. Based on their performance just two weeks ago, there was concern that they would not be fast enough to finish in the top half of the field. But, their commitment and work ethic made a big difference in their boat moving abilities. They can proudly claim to have earned the opportunity to race next year when four of the five will be that much more experienced and ready to lead this developing team into a growing force in the collegiate rowing world. Unquestionably we are now beginning to find the student-athletes with the heart for the work ahead.