Led by senior coxswain Isabella Sobolewski, the women's second varsity eight won their ninth straight gold medal, rowing the race of their lives in the grand final at the NCAA Rowing Championships. In lane one after qualifying via Friday's repechage, Bates raced to the finish in 7:10.463, beating runner-up Wellesley by 0.782 seconds.
The Bobcats trailed the Blue by about two seconds for the first 1,000 meters of the 2K course, then Bates took over in the next 500, grabbing a lead down the stretch they did not relinquish.
It is believed to be the first time in the current format of the NCAA Division III Championships that a crew has gone from the repechage to winning the grand final.
