SETTING THE SCENE: Mount Holyoke will host the 2010 Seven Sisters Championship Regatta on Saturday in South Hadley, Mass. Bryn Mawr College, Smith College, Simmons College and Wellesley College will join the Lyons on the Connecticut River beginning at 10:10 a.m. Wellesley College enters the competition as the defending champions after taking top honors in front of its home crowd last fall. Over the first 21 years of the Championship, Mount Holyoke has claimed nine titles. Smith College has taken first place six times, while Wellesley has won twice. Columbia University earned a pair of titles in the early years of the competition. Championship Program

RACE SCHEDULE:

10:10 a.m. - 2nd Novice 8
10:20 a.m. - Novice 8
10:30 a.m. - 2nd Varsity 8
10:40 a.m. - Varsity 8
11:30 a.m. - Awards Ceremony 

HISTORY OF SEVEN SISTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS: In November 1980, Barnard College hosted Bryn Mawr College, New Rochelle College and Vassar College in a four team basketball tournament, won by New Rochelle. Following the tournament, the original Seven Sisters institutions - Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College and Wellesley College - joined to conduct championships in common sports. Radcliffe (now Harvard University in the athletic arena) was invited but opted not to join, and Barnard (now competing as Columbia University) was unable participate in all championships. Without Radcliffe and Barnard, only five of the original Seven Sisters remained. Haverford College and Swarthmore College were invited to join the championships as cousins, and depending on the tournament, several other schools have been invited to compete, including: Agnes Scott College, Haverford, Swarthmore, Simmons College and Elms College. Seven Sisters Tournaments are currently held in basketball, crew, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, squash, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball.