Two Liberty rowing boats earn gold medals at Richmond Chase regatta

Sunday, October 29

Richmond, VA

9:00 AM

Liberty University Club Sports

Richmond Chase

Members of Liberty's men's and women's rowing teams pause for a photo in front of the James River, venue for Sunday's 5,000-meter Richmond Chase.

Two Liberty rowing boats earn gold medals at Richmond Chase regatta

10/30/2023 6:03:00 PM | Rowing

Flames, Lady Flames continue to make strides in preparation for semester-ending Head of the South on Nov. 11-12 in Georgia.

Liberty University's women's varsity 8 and men's single boats captured gold medals at Sunday's Richmond Chase regatta, an event hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University on a relatively straight 5,000-meter stretch of the James River.

"We had beautiful weather, so that was really nice," Head Coach Debbie Prowse said after temperatures reached into the mid-80-degree range with minimal winds. "Our women's varsity 8 has had some really solid practices this fall and they were looking really together as they were coming down the course."

That boat featured the same lineup as the crew that rowed in the season-opening Music City Head Race earlier this month in Nashville, Tenn., with junior Alaina Schaeffer serving as the coxswain and senior Devyn Bayle in the stroke seat alongside junior rowers Robin Payton and Lauren Thompson, a transfer from Stetson (Fla.) University, freshman Jada Ward, sophomore Allie Reed, senior Kayleigh Yohn, and juniors Jada Lane and Kimberly Loutzenheiser in the bow seat.

The Lady Flames crossed the finish line first in 18 minutes, 38.65 seconds, followed by William & Mary (19:47.37), and George Mason (21:14.26).

Flames junior John Bailey won the men's single race in 20:48.64, far in front of sophomore teammate Kyle Meeker, who placed second in 23:37.83, and the third-place skuller from VCU.

Liberty's Women's varsity 4 boat of junior Rachel Teague in the stoke seat, freshman Caitilin Kinsella, sophomore Evelyn Edwards, junior Faith Hartle in the bow seat and with sophomore Emily Tait at coxswain, finished in 20:46.58, 20 seconds after William & Mary's winning boat (20:26.60), followed by George Mason (third in 23:05.89) and William & Mary's B team.

The Flames' men's novice 4, which had only practiced together four times, came in fourth in 22:52.40 after boats from Richmond (19:40.91), George Mason (20:24.32), and VCU (21:20.88). The team was composed of freshman stroke Dan Cummings and rowers Cole Shatto and Alex Wennerstrom, and junior bow Michael Diaz, with Schaefer serving as coxswain.

"They did really, really well," Prowse said. "For them to get down the course with no crabbing (when oars get stuck in the water) whatsoever was a great accomplishment for them and I was really pleased with them."

Liberty's women's novice 8, rowing in its first race of the year, crossed the finish line third in 24:23.13, behind William & Mary (22:09.02) and VCU (23:26.63).
Men's varsity 4 finished fourth in 20:51.75, behind William & Mary A (first in 18:35), George Mason (19:03), and VCU (19:08.9) and ahead of William & Mary's B team (fifth in 20:57).

Prowse plans to take all but her women's varsity 4 boat to Augusta, Ga., for the Nov. 11-12 Head of the South, the last race of the semester. .

"We have had to shuffle some girls around to keep the women's varsity 8 boat going, to change things up and adapt," she said. "It's hard on the team when you lose kids because they have put in a lot of time and dedication. We have to be flexible and put our best team out there. That's why you adapt and train as hard as you can all of the time, because you never know who's going to have to step up in a different seat, port or starboard."

Kinsella was an example of that on Saturday, when she competed in both the women's varsity 4 and novice 8 races back-to-back for a total of 10,000 meters rowed.

"Sometimes, you have to row somebody twice, which is called a hot seat when they come into the docks and jump out and hopped right into another boat," Prowse said, noting that Kinsella fueled up with a Gatorade and an apple sauce pack in between races. "You love it when you have a rower that's flexible like that and she did an awesome job."

Temperatures are expected to drop quickly this week and the Flames and Lady Flames may only have a few more races on the water before leaving for Georgia next Friday.

"Wednesday looks really cold and really windy, so I am not sure if we are going to be able to get on the water," Prowse said. "Then, with the time change this weekend, we should have a little more daylight in the mornings next Monday and Wednesday. Whatever we can squeak out on the water we'll be thankful for. If all else fails, we will train indoors (on ergs) before we head down to Augusta."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer