Sacred Heart Builds Momentum Across Varsity and Lightweight Crews

Saturday, April 18

Worcester, Mass.

Sacred Heart

Holy Cross

Sacred Heart Builds Momentum Across Varsity and Lightweight Crews

4/18/2026 7:28:00 PM | Women's Rowing

Worcester, Mass. – Sacred Heart competed with a full lineup in Worcester while also racing lightweight boats at the Boston Beanpot.

By: Julia Groff

Worcester, Mass. – Sacred Heart competed with a full lineup in Worcester while also racing lightweight boats at the Boston Beanpot, highlighted by continued growth across the varsity boats and a milestone win for the lightweight program.

The Varsity 8 placed fifth with a time of 6:43.3, as Mia Bottone coxed Kaela Borelli, Susan Munley, Giulianna McCarthy, Olivia Chasse, Sam Keith, Meredith Sommers, Lily Holt, and Giovanna Ponte. The crew showed improved consistency and a more complete race effort. Head coach Luke Wilhelm noted, "I'm proud of the 1V8 for putting down a more complete performance," emphasizing the group's continued progress as they work toward peak speed.

The 2nd Varsity 8 finished fourth in 6:59.5 with Annalise Yartz at coxswain alongside Olivia Caione, Liz Russell, Kadence Faucher, Doria Lukasik-Drescher, Kameron Siiss, Lauren McQuillan, Lauren Durkin, and Olivia Kowalski. The boat built on a strong week of training and translated that into race-day performance. Wilhelm highlighted their development, saying, "The 2V8 had an excellent week of training, and it really showed on race day with the ability to push some new pace."

The Varsity Four continued to be one of the program's most competitive boats, placing fourth in 7:43.9 with Sophia Bittar, Rose Kelly, Sophia O'Malley, Caitlyn Bergman, and Julia Campbell. The 2nd Varsity Four followed with a third-place finish in 7:51.4, featuring Casey Leaver, Nat Sullivan, Dalynn Jackson, Lila Shover, and Sydney Marcy. Assistant coach Steph Allgood praised both crews, stating, "This was a really encouraging performance from both crews. The 1V4+ and 2V4+ showed growth in their rhythm and confidence, and they're starting to put full pieces together when it counts."

Wilhelm summarized the day in Worcester by emphasizing the benefit of consistent competition and overall team growth: "The racing in Worcester was tight. We saw a lot of the same competition as the last two weeks, which is a major blessing when you're trying to grow over the course of the season. As we build towards the MAAC championships, I'm getting more excited about this young team's true potential. Eyes up!"

On the lightweight side, Sacred Heart continued to gain experience at the Boston Beanpot against top competition. The Varsity Lightweight 8 placed fourth with a time of 7:11.2, showing improvement from previous races. The Varsity Lightweight Four finished fourth in 8:19.5 but highlighted the day with a victory over Gordon, marking the first lightweight win in program history. The Lightweight Double placed fifth in 8:40.8, gaining valuable race experience in challenging conditions.

Assistant coach Dawson Shyne reflected on the group's progress, saying, "Today was another step forward for the Sacred Heart lightweight program… the V4 raced past Gordon's four to secure the first lightweight victory in any boat class. Overall, we are grateful and hungry for more opportunities to test our mettle."

Wilhelm also emphasized the importance of competing against elite lightweight programs, adding, "They did a great job closing margins on the competition and forging a new path forward as the first iteration of the Pio 130s."

With continued development across both open weight and lightweight lineups, Sacred Heart now turns its focus toward the upcoming stretch of races as the team builds momentum heading into the MAAC Championships.