WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Drake rowing team travels to West Windsor, N.J. this Friday, May 12 for the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship to be contested on Mercer Lake in Mercer County Park. The winner of the MAAC's annual race earns an automatic berth to the 2017 NCAA Championship that will also be held on Mercer Lake, May 26-28.
 
"This is what we have trained for since September," said head coach Charlie DiSilvestro. "It was great to finish third a year ago and be right there near the top. But we know this year will be another tough task with strong competition and we understand the job at hand. We have to have everything in place and to this point we have had everything come together physically, mentally, technically and academically. Now it is time to do it at the next level this Friday at the conference championship."
 
Drake is vying to win its second MAAC title in program history, it claimed its first in 2012. The Bulldogs, who finished third at the 2016 MAAC championship behind winner, Jacksonville and Marist, will compete against those two schools and seven other MAAC schools in a format that includes three races (Varsity 8+, 2nd Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+) with heats and finals for each with the top three boats in each initial heat advancing to the grand final while the other boats move to petite finals. The school with the highest point total from the results of all the races will be crowned the conference champion.
 
"This year we are a tight, knit team that acts as a family," DiSilvestro said. "They are excited for each other every race and understand to win a championship all three boats must excel. The expectations are high, but so has our training all year. I'm incredibly proud of they have come together as a team and I'm excited to see how they do Friday."
 
Drake Lineups
Varsity 8+
Liz Rambhia (cox) (Middletown, Conn.)
Gabrielle Brodek (Hampden, Maine)
Madison Peterson (River Forest, Ill.)
Sarah Frantik (Oswego, Ill.)
Jessica Rebischke (Lakeville, Minn.)
Sarah Konopacki (Batavia, Ill.)
Haley Abrams (Byron, Minn.)
Kerstin Donat (Vilsbiburg, Germany)
Shelley Hunter (Ontario, Calif.)
 
2nd Varsity 8+
Miranda Peterson (cox) (River Forest, Ill.)
Maddie Coffman (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Sarah Larson (Watertown, S.D.)
Ingrid McNeely (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.)
Melanie Dahlstrom (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.)
Mikaela Janes (Jackson, Wis.)
Audrey Baumeister (Chicago, Ill.)
Julie Shipley (St. Louis, Mo.)
Elise Nikolic (Champlin, Minn.)
 
Varsity 4+ A
Madeline Killian (cox) (Mendota Heights, Minn.)
Ryli Smith (Ankeny, Iowa)
Julie Uram (Rockford, Ill.)
Lauren Bascio (Springfield, Ill.)
Lindsay Finnell (Springfield, Ill.)