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Date: March 16, 2004
Contact: Bill Sodoma

 

Women's crew tied for No. 1 ranking in preseason poll

LOWELL, Mass. --

The Colby College women's crew ended the 2003 season as NCAA Division III national champs. The Mules will start the 2004 season ranked in a tie as the No. 1 crew in the country.

Colby earned five of the seven first-place votes in the poll, but the Mules still shared the top spot with United States Coast Guard Academy in the US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division Varsity Eight national poll.

The Mules finished second at the national meet two years ago and then won Colby's first-ever team national title last year in Indianapolis. Coast Guard finished in fourth place at last year's national championships.

Colby and head coach Stew Stokes will row against Smith College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Wesleyan University in competition at Worcester, Mass., on April 3. Smith is ranked third and WPI is 12th in the preseason poll.

 

US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division III Women's Poll

Team Points

1. Colby College (5 first-place votes) 132

1. Coast Guard (2) 132

3. Smith 111

4. Williams 100

5. Ithaca 93

5. Vassar 93

7. Puget Sound 83

8. Trinity 77

9. William Smith 68

10. Wellesley 55

11. Washington College 53

12. Worcester Polytechnic Institute 50

13. Connecticut College 49

14. Mount Holyoke 46

15. Tufts 37

Others receiving votes: Bates 36, Willamette 33, RIT 28, Pacific Lutheran 22, Wesleyan 18, Skidmore 13, Rensselaer 12, Mary Washington 11, St. Lawrence 7, Lewis & Clark 6.