SHELTON, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's rowing team captured gold at the 2025 Heart of the Housatonic Regatta on Saturday, successfully defending its title for the second consecutive year.

The Pioneers' 1V8 led the charge, crossing the line in 15:32.45 to take first place ahead of Fairfield (15:42.45) and Monmouth (15:49.76). The victory marks back-to-back titles for SHU in the varsity eight event at the annual fall regatta.

"Our 1V had the race we've been hoping to have all year," said head coach Lucas Wilhelm. "They had a strong showing and pushed the pace early in the race. When talking to coxswain Mia Bottone after the race, she told me the boat was very responsive to every call she made. This fall we've shown great potential in practice and on the erg, and today it was realized."

Sacred Heart entered four additional boats in the varsity eight race, highlighting the program's growing depth. The 2V8 placed ninth overall at 16:23.77, while the 3V8 (17:02.76), a lightweight entry, followed after a challenging week of early-morning training. The 4V8 (17:14.51) battled closely with Holy Cross's third varsity and finished in front of several programs' second boats, and the 5V8 (17:26.63) impressed by holding its own against multiple 2V lineups.

"The 2V was in a tight pack of deep teams and came off the water hungry for winter training," Wilhelm added. "Several of the girls told me they know what they need to do to be ready for MAAC Champs, and that's the fuel we need to burn all winter. The 4V and 5V showed the depth of our program and how far this group has come in the past few weeks. I'm really proud of their competitiveness and composure."

In the varsity four events, Sacred Heart turned in strong performances despite blustery conditions. The 1V4 clocked 17:46.61 to finish fifth overall, followed by the 2V4 (18:29.94) and 3V4 (18:52.84) in seventh and eighth, respectively. The novice four recorded a time of 19:50.03, and the 4V4 came through at 20:18.90.

"The fours category saw our girls double race on a blustery Saturday," Wilhelm said. "There were lots of close results and tight margins, even intra-squad. Special shoutout to the Novice 4+ that earned their first race as a Pioneer, we're proud to have walk-on athletes in every boat in our program."

Sacred Heart concludes a successful fall season on a high note and will return to action this spring.