May 30, 2006

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's University's Dad Vail Champion Women's Varsity 8 will compete in Great Britain at the Reading Regatta on June 11 and the prestigious Henley Women's Regatta on June 16,17,18. The crew which consists of of Kate Parry, Brianna Kearns, Amanda Holland, Liz Sauter, Meg Henry, Jenn Linck, Lauren Sysol, Kaitie Reehill, and Debbie Bateman along with alternates Maureen Owston and Alicia Easby-Smith guided the Hawks to the most successful season in program history marked by record finishes at the San Diego Crew Classic, Atlantic Conference Championships and the Dad Vail.

The Hawks depart on June 8 and will travel through the southern United Kingdom and row practices in Cambridge, Oxford and in Henley-on-Thames. This marks the first trip oversees for the Hawks' Women.

The trip abroad will be the climax of a record season for SJU. The Varsity 8, which reached the finals of every event in which it competed, took gold at the Dad Vail and Knecht Cup. It also earned silver medals at the Bergen and Murphy Cups and a bronze at the San Diego Crew Classic. As a team, SJU earned a school-best second place finish in the women's competition and a second straight Bratten Trophy as the overall (combined mens and women's) team champion at the Dad Vail. In addition, SJU finished second overall at the Atlantic 10 Championships.