CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Barry University's rowing crew made a statement at the Head of the Charles nationally-renowned regatta Saturday, winning the Women's Collegiate Fours race with a time of 18:14.89 on the 4,800-meter course.
The Bucs outraced McGill (18:19.71), Georgia Tech (18:40.45), Trinity (18:47.89) and Bowdoin (18:49.19) in the 33-boat race. West Point, Penn State, Washington, Clemson, Illinois, Lafayette, Vanderbilt, Florida, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Marquette all finished behind the Bucs.
"This is amazing," Barry first-year coach Boban Rankovic said. "We just won the biggest and the most prestigious fall race. I am proud of our girls the way they represented Barry, especially with all the obstacles we had to overcome. We never practiced or raced at this course. Having seven bridges and many sharp turns, it was our biggest challenge that we had to overcome."
Barry's crew of coxswain Angela Dasch, Beth Desmond, Paola Girotto, Monika Kaminska and Rosie Boncheva became the first Buccaneer rowing unit to win at the Head of the Charles.
"We started at the 20 position, and had to pass four teams along bridges and difficult turns," Rankovic said. "That is where Angela did a great job, along with girls, having full trust and confidence in her, to get them down the course. I am really proud of them."
The Bucs will compete in the Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 2.