YPSILANTI, Mich. – In the inaugural Mid-American Conference Championship, the High Point University women's rowing team overcame numerous weather delays throughout Saturday as the Panthers finished in fourth place with 17 points on Ford Lake.

The 1V4+ of coxswain Arianna Ording, Gabby Caintic, Josephine Chapuis, Kiarra Shouder, Bailey Upchurch earned a bronze medal, while Audrey Houle and Anna Venditti were named to the All-MAC Second Team.

Head Coach Jessica Deitrick: "Fourth as a program in our first ever conference championship and a medal in the 1V4 is a success! I'm proud of how the team handled all of the changes in schedule with weather and conditions. They were composed, excited to race, and every woman put it all out on the course today. As a program, we are excited for the future and ready to continue the BUILD. I want to thank my staff as well! It's a full team effort and without each of them our success today would not be possible. Row 'Thers!"



The MAC Championship was delayed by over an hour due to lightning in the area, which flipped the boat order from the start. The 1V8+ opened the racing in the inaugural regatta, rowing to a fourth-place finish (6:54.7) to earn nine points while the 2V8+ boat followed and placed fifth (7:07.5) for four points.

Rain began to pour down on the 2V8+ crew, causing another weather delay — due to more lightning strikes around Ford Lake — that forced nearly a two-hour hiatus.

Following the delay, High Point's 1V4+ was the next boat on the water. The Panthers were stroke-for-stroke with Delaware (7:32.4) before finishing third (7:35.6) to earn four points and a podium bronze moment. HPU's 2V4+ wrapped up the MAC Championship with a fourth-place finish (8:14.9).

Team Standings
1.UMass: 36 points
2. Delaware: 27 points
3. Temple: 26 points
4. High Point: 17 points
5. Eastern Michigan: 14 points
6. Toledo: 6 points

Race Results

1V8+
1. UMass – 6:37.5
2. Temple – 6:40.8
3. Delaware – 6:45.4
4. High Point – 6:54.7
5. EMU – 6:56.7
6. Toledo – 7:14
 
2V8+
1. UMass – 6:49.2
2. Delaware – 6:52.9
3. Temple – 6:56.1
4. EMU – 7:00.9
5. High Point – 7:07.5
6. Toledo – 7:45.2

1V4+
1. UMass – 7:25.7
2. Delaware – 7:32.4
3. High Point – 7:35.6
4. Temple – 7:43.5
5. EMU – 7:58.2
6. Toledo – 9:36.0

2V4+
1. UMass – 7:33.0
2. Delaware – 7:40.7
3. Temple – 7:43.1
4. High Point – 8:14.9

HPU Lineups
1V8+: Grayson Williams (C), Genevieve Alexander, Anna Venditti, Audrey Houle, Riley Verner, Saige Wiggins, Annabelle Everding, Avery Falor, Kate Concepcion

2V8+: Carolyn Fox (C), Rylee Templar, Anneke Calhoun, Bailey White, Willow Conley, Madelyn Cummings, Alexandra Laufer, Caitlin Enright, Lucy Laborde

1V4+: Arianna Ording (C), Gabby Caintic, Josephine Chapuis, Kiarra Shouder, Bailey Upchurch

2V4+: Alison Sims (C), Aliyah Strickland, Michaela Islas, Price Rinker, Sydney Rogness