SARASOTA, Fla.  – The High Point University women's rowing team completed the Sarasota 2k after two full days of racing in the Florida sun.

Head Coach Jessica Deitrick: "This weekend was a great opportunity for us to line up against our peers and unfortunately, we didn't rise to the challenge as a team. We are ready to get home, regroup, learn from this weekend and prepare the next opportunity to race."

High Point opened competition on Friday with four heats that determined placement into the final rounds.

The first boat to go out was the 2V4. The Panthers posted an 8:29.20 to finish fifth in their heat. The Varsity 4 followed with a sixth place finish in 8:22.39, while the 2V8 crossed in 7:23.04 to place sixth in its heat.

The Varsity 8 closed the opening day with a fifth-place finish in 6:54.98. Those results placed all four HPU boats into the Final C (third-level finals) on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, the Panthers returned to the water for their final races of the weekend. The 2V4 delivered the strongest result of the regatta for HPU, finishing second in the Final C with a time of 8:14.05, just behind Boston College and ahead of Old Dominion.

In the Varsity 4, High Point placed fifth with a time of 8:53.88, continuing to gain valuable race experience in a tightly packed field, while finishing ahead of Old Dominion and University of Albany. The 2V8 finished seventh in 7:43.98, while the V8 also placed seventh in Final C with a time of 7:29.85, closing out the weekend's racing.

The Panthers will look to build on this weekend's performances as they continue through the spring racing season.

HPU Lineups:
1v8: Grayson Williams (C), Genevieve Alexander, Anna Venditti, Saige Wiggins, Riley Verner, Audrey Houle, Alexandra Laufer, Annabelle Everding, Kate Concepcion
2v8: Carolyn Fox (C), Lucy Laborde, Rylee Templar, Anneke Calhoun, Michaela Islas, Kiarra Shouder, Avery Falor, Willow Conley, Madelyn Cummings
1v4: Lucia Calvert (C), Bailey White, Josephine Chapuis, Aliyah Strickland, Caitlin Enright
2v8: Arianna Ording (C), Gabby Caintic, Sydney Rogness, Price Rinker, Bailey Upchurch

Up Next: High Point will continue the spring slate with the Old Dominion Double Dual in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday, April 4.