Pittsburgh, PA - The Head of the Ohio regatta is set to take place this Saturday, October 3, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This annual event will mark the first race of the season for the Mercyhurst Women's Rowing, Men's Lightweight Rowing, and Heavyweight Rowing teams.
 
Mercyhurst Women's Rowing Outlook
The Mercyhurst Women's Rowing team is gearing up for their first competition of the year. Coming off a strong season, the team looks to build on last year's successes. The women's varsity 8+ had impressive performances last season, finishing second at the Marietta invite. Additionally, the women's varsity pair secured a first-place finish at the Knecht Cup, while the women's varsity four achieved a third-place finish in the semi-final at the same event. The second varsity four rounded off their season with a first-place victory at the Dad Vail Regatta. This season, the team welcomes new freshmen, including Rai Johnson, Carlie Lehrman, Ava West, Juliet Woodman, and Olivia Zablocki.
 
Men's Lightweight Rowing Outlook
The Men's Lightweight Rowing team will also begin their season at the Head of the Ohio. Last year, the lightweight 4+ excelled by advancing through three races to earn a bronze medal at the IRA National Championships. This accomplishment marked the program's second consecutive year of earning a medal at the national level. Fresh faces on the team include freshmen Henry Church, Stiles Cotton, Maverick Hoyt, Kohen Patton, August Schwartz Wallace, and Quinn Zloty.
 
Men's Heavyweight Rowing Outlook
For the Men's Heavyweight Rowing team, this regatta will serve as the season opener. The previous season saw the men's varsity four finish second in the grand final at Dad Vail, while both the men's varsity pair and the men's second varsity four boats placed third in their respective events. At the Knecht Cup, the crew secured a second-place finish in the Men's Second Varsity Four Final. The heavyweight 4+ concluded their season with a fourth-place finish in the D final at the IRA National Championships. New additions to the team include freshmen Elan Aguiar, William Cox, Finley Jenkins, Nowa Kinkonyogo, Joaquin Lopez, Hudson McCaffery, Marcus Santoro, August Schwartz Wallace, and Isaaq Wilson.
 
This event promises to be an exciting start to the rowing season for all participating teams. With new faces on all teams, the Lakers are looking forward to begin a memorable season.
 
Up Next
The women's team will return to Pittsburgh in two weeks on October 17^th to compete in the Yinzer Cup.