HADLEY, Mass. -- Peter Steenstra has been named the NESCAC Women's Rowing Coach of the Year for the ninth time and the Bobcats picked up six All-NESCAC honors in women's rowing and one in men's rowing, as announced Thursday by the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

In his 18th year at the helm of the program, Steenstra guided the Bates women's rowing team to their eighth conference title and an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Championships, with six of the nine Bobcats in the first varsity eight named All-NESCAC as a result.

Sophomore coxswain Leah Brody (Larchmont, N.Y.) is a first team All-NESCAC selection, stepping into the first varsity eight this year after spending her rookie season in the second varsity eight. The Bates women's first varsity eight raced to the finish of their grand final at the National Invitational Rowing Championship in 7:06.210, beating runner-up Williams (7:08.518) by more than two seconds.

"The women's first varsity eight grand final was executed to perfection," Steenstra said. "Brody and her crew started out in fifth place through the first 500 meters. Then they walked their way through the field, stunning everyone, including the commentators on the live broadcast." 

Moving from the coxswain's seat towards the bow, senior captain seventh seat Olivia Smith (Lafayette, Ind.), senior fifth seat Quinn Gleason (Wayland, Mass.), and senior captain third seat Isabelle Martin (Roslyn, Wash.) join Brody as first team All-NESCAC selections. Smith and Martin have been in the first varsity eight since their sophomore year while this is Gleason's second full season in the 1V.

Junior sixth seat Maggie Gill (Port Clyde, Maine) and senior bow seat Hannah de Fontaine (Wellesley, Mass.) both earned second team All-NESCAC honors. Gill has been a member of the 1V since her first year as a Bobcat and de Fontaine made her debut in the 1V this year after three seasons in the second varsity eight. 

While the women's team features six first-time All-NESCAC selections, the men's side features a familiar name rounding out the all-conference picks this year for Bates.

Men's senior captain stroke seat Luke Desmaison (New York City) is a second team All-NESCAC selection after he helped the first varsity eight take fifth place in their grand final at the National Invitational Rowing Championship, good for an at-large bid to the IRA National Championship, coming up at the end of the month. Desmaison is now a two-time All-NESCAC selection after being named first team All-NESCAC a year ago.