Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.
Baya Jaiswal ’27
Staff Writer
The Mount Holyoke College Rowing team opened their spring season in Lake Quinsigamond on April 13, 2024. The competition was hosted by Clark University in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, with the regatta consisting of Mount Holyoke, Washington College, Connecticut College, Simmons University, University of Rochester, Williams College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University.
Mount Holyoke’s team consisted of their first Varsity 8 (1V8) and second Varsity 8 (2V8 rosters), 1V8 being the team’s fastest boat, followed by 2V8, the second fastest. The two lineups compete in separate events against the respective IV8 and 2V8 of other colleges competing in the race.
Mount Holyoke’s 1V8 consisted of Tobin Mayo-Kiely ’26, the coxswain, Emma Waldron ’24 at 8, Lilla Caroll ’25 at 7, Katrina Holbrook ’27 at 6, Gwyn Munroe ’26 at 5, Jill Slatch ’25 at 4, Mack Windus ’24 at 3, Ava Rawlings ’26 at 2 and Meghan French ’24 as the bow.
On the other hand, Mount Holyoke’s 2V8 consisted of Jen Butler ’25, the coxswain, Caroline Odlin-Brewer ’24 at 8, Leyla Guven ’26 at 7, Giuliana de la Incera ’27 at 6, Elsa Kulatunga ’26 at 5, Nora Priede von Herber ’26 at 4, Josie Capps ’27 at 3, Maire Kettner ’26 at 2 and Clay Halpern ’26 as the bow.
Kulatunga, a member of 2V8, shared her thoughts on the team’s season opener in an email to Mount Holyoke news. “The atmosphere within the team was a bit jittery — this was our first regatta of the season and we hadn't been able to practice the day before racing due to thunderstorms and lightning. There was also a lot of positive energy about finally starting our racing season,” she said.
In the first event, Mount Holyoke’s 1V8 competed against Clark University and Washington College in the three-boat heat. Mount Holyoke beat Washington College in 7:51.29 but was outraced narrowly by Clark, who had a time of 7:46.69 in the 2,000-meter course.
In the second and final event, Mount Holyoke outraced Connecticut College and Washington College, clocking a time of 7:36.77, but was edged out by Clark by just 3.19 seconds. Williams placed first with a time of 7:11.87, followed by WPI, who had a time of 7:25.22. Mount Holyoke secured fourth place in the six-boat event.
Mount Holyoke’s 2V8 also competed in a six-boat event. Despite the windy conditions, the team achieved fifth place overall. In this event, Williams placed first with a time of 7:23.09, followed by WPI which raced in 7:42.54. Clark finished in 7:55.58, Connecticut College completed the course in 8:16.94, Mount Holyoke clocked a time of 8:32.49 and Washington College completed the event in 8:56.06.
Kulatunga also mentioned her thoughts on the future of the team’s spring season, “I feel excited for the racing season — we've put in a lot of work over the winter season in order to get faster on the water. I'm looking forward to seeing all that work pay off and feeling the boats get faster every week.”
The Lyons next compete on Saturday, April 20, against Assumption and Coast Guard at Lake Quinsigamond.