Under the direction of second year head coach Heather Putnam, the Mount Holyoke rowing team had a strong campaign in 2015-16. The squad had a number of solid efforts during the year, including a fifth-place finish at the 2016 NEWMAC Championship.
The season kicked off at the Snake Regatta as the varsity eight battled to a 10th-place finish. The novice eight also had a solid outing, powering their way to 16th.
Mount Holyoke made its return to the Charles River on Oct. 18, competing at the 51st Annual Head of the Charles Regatta. It was an outstanding effort for the Lyons, who finished 23rd overall in the race. The team then shifted its attention closer to home as it hosted the 2015 Seven Sisters Championship. The varsity eight posted fifth in its race, while the novice eight and second novice eight were second and third, respectively in their races.
For their efforts, seniors Chenyue Lu and Ashley Avila earned All-Seven Sisters Championship recognition on Varsity, while first year Monika Sharma was tabbed to the All-Championship Novice Team.
The spring season saw the Lyons open on a strong note as the varsity eight won in a race against Franklin Pierce and Massachusetts Maritime near the end of March. MHC then took to the water in early April, heading to Tufts for a race against Hamilton, Trinity and the Jumbos on the Malden River. In that effort, the second varsity eight shined with a victory over conference-rival Coast Guard.
The Lyons headed to Lake Quinsigamond the next weekend, battling against Clark, the University of Vermont, Simmons, Bryant and Endicott. MHC had a solid effort as the varsity eight finished third overall. The second varsity eight also had a strong performance, winning their race against Vermont and Simmons.
Dangerous conditions mid-April forced the cancellation of a race at Coast Guard, but the team geared up for a return to Worcester and the 2016 NEWMAC Championships on Lake Quinsigamond. The varsity eight and the second varsity eight were both fifth in their respective races. Following the event, the 2015 All-Conference honorees were revealed. Named from Mount Holyoke to the Second Team were juniors Molly Lapointe and Meghan Ryan. It marked the second straight honor for Lapointe and the first for Ryan at the conference tournament.
The Lyons headed into the final stretch of the season back in Worcester, first competing at the New England Championships. In the second varsity eight race, MHC advanced into the Third Final, placing third overall while besting boats from Colby and NEWMAC-rival Simmons. The varsity eight also advanced to the Third Final, where they placed fourth overall, besting the boat from the University of Vermont, whom the Lyons shouldered a loss to earlier in the spring.
Rounding out the season was the National Invitational Collegiate Regatta, which saw Mount Holyoke place 16th overall. The varsity eight highlighted the effort, advancing to the Third Final, where they placed fourth overall. The crew bested several other boats, including Coast Guard and St. Lawrence. Overall, the Lyons were 16th in the field of 21 total varsity eight boats.
The Lyons were equally impressive in the classroom as 10 student-athletes were named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team.
• Finished fifth at the NEWMAC Championship
• Were fourth at the Seven Sisters Championship
• Placed 16th at New England Rowing Championship
• Were 16th at National Invitational Collegiate Regatta
• Two named to NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team – Molly Lapointe '17 & Meghan Ryan '17
• Three student-athletes garner Seven Sisters All-Tournament honors – Chenyue Lu '16, Ashley Avila '16 & Monika Sharma '19
• Ten student-athletes earned NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors
• One named NERC Scholar Athlete - Rosalind Waltz-Peters '16
