Friday's Race Replay (Heats) | Friday's Race Replay (Repechage) | Saturday's Race Replay (Finals)

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Thomas Jefferson University women's rowing team finished fourth at the NCAA Division II Championships, which wrapped up on Saturday at Nathan Benderson Park.
 
The Rams' Varsity Eight finished third in the Grand Final with a time of 7:08.855. It was Jefferson's highest finish in the event in program history. The Rams were locked in a tight race with Mercyhurst and Western Washington for the majority of the race, with all three boats within a second of each other for several minutes, before falling back over the last 200 meters.
 
The Jefferson Varsity Four came in second place in the Petite Final, and sixth overall, posting a time of 8:39.668.
 
Mercyhurst claimed its second national championship and first since 2004, sweeping the Four and the Eight.
 
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Mercyhurst – 30 points
2. Western Washington – 19 points
3. Embry-Riddle – 19 points
4. Jefferson – 14 points
5. Central Oklahoma – 14 points
6. Seattle Pacific – 9 points
* Ties broken by place finish in the Eight
 
VARSITY EIGHT
Jule Boeckmann (stroke), Nomeda Nazarenkaite, Maxi Schacht, Maggie Sher, Lily Rodgers, Olivia Eichman, Maeve Bieter, Colton Salomon-Lowden (bow), Mara Holt (coxswain)
 
Heat Two
1. Jefferson – 6:38.671
2. Western Washington – 6:42.899
3. Embry-Riddle – 7:13.441
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* The Rams had a wire-to-wire victory, showing why they were the top-seeded crew in their heat. With the win, Jefferson advanced directly to the Grand Final. It was the first time in program history that the Rams' Varsity Eight won its heat at the NCAA Championships. *
 
Grand Final
1. Mercyhurst – 7:03.709
2. Western Washington – 7:03.739
3. Jefferson – 7:08.855
4. Embry-Riddle – 7:16.699
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* Perhaps a race that will steal the show across all three divisions in Sarasota, the Grand Final was one for the ages as it was an even three-boat race for 1800 meters. The Rams traded strokes with Mercyhurst and Western Washington down the course, with each crew's bow inching into the lead several times.
 
Jefferson had the edge at the 500-meter mark but all four boats were less than a second apart. Mercyhurst held the lead at the halfway point but first through third were separated by just 0.45 seconds as Embry-Riddle began to lose ground and slide clearly into fourth. It was the Rams with the slim advantage at 1500 meters with a 0.878-second difference from first to third.
 
It remained a dead heat until the final 200 meters as Mercyhurst and Western Washington pulled ahead while Jefferson did not have the energy remaining to keep up. In a photo finish, Mercyhurst clipped Western Washington at the line by just 0.03 seconds to sweep both events and claim the national title. *
 
VARSITY FOUR
Erica Lehman (stroke), Olivia Liebsch, Caitlin Lawson, Katherine Gortner (bow), Savannah Orlando (coxswain)
 
Heat One
1. Embry-Riddle – 7:37.272
2. Seattle Pacific – 7:52.782
3. Jefferson – 8:11.299
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* Embry-Riddle had a wire-to-wire victory in the heat to advance directly to the Grand Final. *
 
Repechage
1. Central Oklahoma – 7:44.075
2. Seattle Pacific – 7:52.267
3. Western Washington – 7:54.639
4. Jefferson – 8:18.095
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* The Rams struggled to find their speed, falling behind the field early. Central Oklahoma led throughout while Seattle Pacific chased down Western Washington in the third 500 meters to take the final spot in the Grand Final. *
 
Petite Final
1. Western Washington – 8:21.102
2. Jefferson – 8:39.668
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* Western Washington got out to a quick lead and held it the length of the course for the win. *
 
NOTES
- Jefferson's 14 points was the most it has accumulated at the NCAA Championships.
- The Rams' fourth-place finish ties their second-highest in program history. They were third in 2010.
- The Varsity Eight's winning time of 6:38.671 in the heats was a new program record at the NCAA Championships.
- It was Jefferson's sixth appearance at the NCAA Championships, their fourth as a team. Jefferson's varsity eight qualified as an at-large boat twice.