SHELTON, Conn. - The Drake rowing teams won all four races they competed in today at the Shelton Invitational in Shelton, Conn.

The Bulldogs won both qualifying heats in the Varsity four and Varsity eight races and they captured both of the final races in each. Sacred Heart, Fairfield, Iona, Canisus, Army and Skidmore all raced today and Marist will race tomorrow in the final Varsity eight race.

"The team rowed very well today against great competition," Drake head coach Charlie DiSilvestro said. "We knew the conference schools were getting better and as we head to the automatic qualifying next season each showed faster times."

Susan Goulette (New Brighton Minn.), Kat Moore (Brooklyn Center, Minn.), Maggie Benhart (St. Charles, Ill.), Madi Perington (Victoria, Minn.), Brittney Smith (Duluth, Minn.), Jessica Nightser (Council Bluff, Iowa), Emily Householter (Wheaton, Ill.), Sarah Travis (Casa Grande, Ariz.) and Jacque Nowers (Ames, Iowa) (coxswain) raced in the Varsity eight race. Goulette, Moore, Benhart, Perington and Nowers (coxswain) raced in the Varsity four race.

"All the teams today including Army and Skidmore (neither are MAAC schools) were strong today and our team met the challenge especially with borrowed boats and all the travel we did," DiSilvestro said. "They showed great mental toughness in all four races today and we are excited to add Marist tomorrow, who is always the number one seed at conference, to see how we stack up against them."

The Invitational will conclude tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. with a Varsity eight race.