Aug. 4, 2005

Rochester, N.Y. - Mercyhurst had a rough start Saturday, April 2, as it opened its 2005 season on the Genesee River against Rochester Institute of Technology. The water conditions were so bad that the coaches decided that the racecourse be moved to another part of the river. The change, however, caused the course to be shortened to only 1500 meters instead of the normal 2000 meters.

The Lakers struggled in the rough water allowing RIT to pull ahead early in almost every race. The lone victory was the Men's lightweights four, who handled the conditions well.

"Our inability to practice, due to the ice still on Findley Lake, really put us at a disadvantage," said Head Coach Adrian Spracklen. "This is the first time we have been on the water since March 5th and RIT has been practicing for four weeks. Last year we swept RIT at Findley Lake, but today it was pretty much all them; they rowed great races today and deserve a lot of credit."

The Lakers hope to host their own Mercyhurst Invitational next weekend providing the ice is gone from Findley Lake. A decision will be made Tuesday.

Women'sVarsity 8: 1st RIT, 2nd MC
Men's 2V 8: 1st RIT, 2nd MC
Men's Varsity 8: 1st RIT, 2nd MC
Women's Frosh/Nov 4: 1st RIT, 2nd MC
Men's Lightweight 4: 1st MC, 2nd RIT
Men's Varsity 4: 1st RIT, 2nd MC