WORCESTER, Mass. -- Three Bates crews earned medals in their respective grand finals and the women's and men's rowing teams combined for 264 points, good for third place out of 25 schools Friday at the National Invitational Rowing Championship, held on Lake Quinsigamond. 

Both the Bates women's and men's second varsity eights continued their strong seasons by earning silver medals on Friday. Led by senior coxswain Isabella Sobolewski (Washington, D.C.) and junior stroke Genesis Bussey (Bronx, N.Y.), the women's 2V won their heat 7:20.620, six seconds ahead of runner-up Hamilton. Then the Bobcats edged Tufts for second place in the grand final, crossing the finish line in 6:53.212. The Wesleyan 2V won the race in 6:50.350 while the Jumbos placed third in 6:53.590.

On the men's side, sophomore coxswain Isabel Beck (Montclair, N.J.) and sophomore stroke Ian Van Loo (Seattle, Wash.) led the second varsity eight to second place in their heat, racing to the finish in 6:26.719, two seconds faster than third-place MIT. Williams won the heat in 6:25.211. Then the Bobcats squared off against the other top-two finishers in the grand final, once again placing second to Williams, as Bates crossed the line in 6:01.915 while the Ephs won in 5:54.085. The Bobcats edged Trinity for second, as the Bantams placed third with a time of 6:01.961. The University of Michigan and Hobart, both traditional rowing powers, also finished behind Bates in the grand final. 

The women's open four rounded out the medalists on the day for Bates. There were no heats, so senior coxswain Hannah Braslau (Chelmsford, Mass.) and junior stroke Emily Everett (Fair Haven, N.J.) led the Bobcats down the course once, finishing with a time of 8:01.421, good for second place behind only NCAA Division I program New Hampshire (7:51.795). The Bobcats finished well-ahead of third-place Wellesley (8:18.796). 

The National Invitational Rowing Championship determines the NESCAC champion in both women's and men's rowing. The top finisher in the first varsity eight race is declared the conference champion. On the women's side, Williams ended Bates' streak of five conference championships in a row, finishing as the runner-up in the grand final to Wellesley, which is not a NESCAC school. The Bobcats took fifth in the grand final in 6:46.467, just getting edged by Trinity (6:46.307) for fourth place.

On the men's side, the Ephs got the gold medal and the NESCAC title, taking first in the grand final in 5:48.152 for their third straight conference championship. The Bates men didn't quite make the grand final, but won the petite final in 5:56.288, defeating runner-up Hobart by two seconds. 

In women's rowing, only Bates or Williams has won the conference title every year dating back to 2005, and in men's rowing, only Bates or Williams has won the conference title every year dating back to 2008. Trinity is the last school not named Bates or Williams to win the NESCAC in both women's and men's rowing. 

The Bates women's rowing team will learn their fate regarding the NCAA Championships when selections are announced on Tuesday, May 16 at 4:30pm.

The Bates men's rowing team will learn if they will once again be competing at the IRA National Championship Regatta at some point next week as well. 

Bates WV8 lineup: Bow: Darya Lee; 2: Hannah Burdick; 3: Josephine Stevens; 4: Molly Connors; 5: Livia Bernhardt; 6: Katarina Dickson; 7: Eliana Weissmann; Stroke: Casey Winter; c: Lucy Del Col

Bates W2V8 lineup: Bow: Hannah de Fontaine; 2: Hope Stamp; 3: Ollie Young; 4: Olivia Szachta; 5: Lauren Cockrill; 6: Quinn Gleason; 7: Lydia Barker; Stroke: Genesis Bussey; c: Isabella Sobolewski

Bates W3V8 lineup: Bow: Elizabeth Gramley; 2: Dominique Bunnell; 3: Eloise Botka; 4: Maggie Kornfeind; 5: Isabelle Martin; 6: Abigail Somosky; 7: Olivia Smith; Stroke: Miryam Keller; c: Olivia Seline

Bates WO4 lineup: Bow: Madeline Kemp; 2: Tatum Holley; 3: Claire Scott; 4: Emily Everett; c: Hannah Braslau

Bates MV8 lineup: Bow: Benjamin MacDonald; 2: Sean Christiansen; 3: Oliver Firmenich; 4: Isaac Levinger; 5: Luke Desmaison; 6: William Siebert; 7: Charlie Berman; Stroke: George Fauver; c: Aidan Braithwaite

Bates M2V8 lineup: Bow: Riley Young; 2: Conor McGuckin; 3: Samuel Marchman; 4: Charles Renvyle; 5: Timothy Bates; 6: Benjamin Auerbach; 7: Kelly McKaige; Stroke: Ian Van Loo; c: Isabel Beck

Bates M3V8 lineup: Bow: Alwin Ma; 2: Saunders Thompson; 3: Micah Johnson; 4: William Conway; 5: Jimmy Staller; 6: Jack Stephenson; 7: Andrew Frey; Stroke: Wiley Anderson; c: Micah Shimizu

Bates MO4 lineup: Bow: Leo Sullivan; 2: Zachary Jawor; 3: Samuel Hallett; 4: Daniel Rodriguez; c: Melinda Kostrinsky