PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Maritime men's and women's rowing teams opened their fall 2017 season this Saturday on the Schuylkill River at the Navy Day Regatta hosted by St. Joseph's University.
 
Conditions were excellent for rowing as there was a slight tail current and tail wind allowing for faster times throughout the day. The water was flat for a majority of the day and during all the team's races.
 
The Women's Rowing team competed in the women's open pair and finished fifth place out of six. The pair was stroked by senior Alexandra Schnabel (Lindenhurst, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and sophomore Gabriella Franco (East Setauket, N.Y./St. Anthony's) , finishing with a time of 20:04.50.
 
The men's open/collegiate four event followed; the first varsity four was coxed by junior Christopher Chilelli (Bordentown N.J./Bordentown Regional) and stroked by freshman Roury Higgins (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus), behind him were freshman Stefano Korkotas (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage), sophomore John Woods (Worcester, Mass./St. John's), and freshman Christian Tanas (Chatham, N.J./St. Peter's Prep), and posted a time of 15:14.33, finishing 12th out of 21.
 
The second varsity four was coxed by freshman Ben Ludwig (New City, N.Y./Clarsktown North) and stroked by freshman Tommy Murray (Paramus, N.J./Bergen Catholic), sophomore James Louer Jr. (Clifton, N.J./Clifton), sophomore Zach Woolley (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) and sophomore Adam Durrua (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Beach) and finished with a time of 16:01.61 and finished 15th.
 
Later in the day the two men's fours combined to form the varsity eight. Despite limited practice time together, the octet posted a time of 14:20.05 and finished 23rd out of 26 entries.
 
Next weekend, the Maritime men's and women's rowing team will be back in action at the famed Head of the Charles Regatta on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts with an entry in the Men's Collegiate Four and the Women's Collegiate Four.