Bates College

Guided expertly by sophomore coxswain Kate Traquina (Wayland, Mass.), the Bates women's varsity eight claimed first place among 30 boats in the Women's Collegiate Eights event on Sunday at the 50th Head of the Charles Regatta.

It was Bates' first-ever victory at the world's largest fall regatta.

The Bobcats navigated the serpentine 4,800-meter course on the Charles River in 17:25.60, outpacing rival and runner-up Trinity by a mere 1.77 seconds. Wellesley was a distant third in 17:27.37.

"It's very important to understand that Kate Traquina is the MVP of this particular result," said head coach Peter Steenstra. "She grew up on the Charles and was able to provide an impeccable course for her crew, allowing them to maximize their effort and efficiency. It's very likely this win would not have happened without Kate at the helm."

Bates' second varsity eight placed higher than any other W2V8 in 11th place, covering the course in 18:11.53, with senior Emma-Kate Lindsay (Harrison, N.Y.) at coxswain. The Bates W2V8 only trailed Ithaca's WV8 by 0.34 seconds for 10th place.