Ithaca raced to its second straight NCAA Division III Women's Rowing Championship May 28 at the CSUS Aquatic Center in Sacramento, California.

The defending-champion Bombers became the first crew to collect back-to-back titles since the Division III championship began in 2002. Williams and Colby won the event in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

Ithaca and Smith tied for the team championship with 10 points each, but the Bombers were awarded the title after notching a higher finish in the grand final. Trinity (Connecticut) won the final, but with a sixth-place finish in the petite final, the Bantams did not score enough to secure the championship.

For the second consecutive year, Smith was the national runner-up, followed by Trinity (Connecticut), Puget Sound, Williams and Colby in the team standings.

Bombers head coach Becky Robinson wasn't sure her team would be in this position at the beginning of the year.

"As things unfolded, I recognized that Trinity's varsity eight was strong and clearly ahead of the rest of the crews. We started talking about how else we could win the championship as a team and what we needed to do at the varsity and second varsity eight level," she said. "Our second varsity eight rowed the best race they have ever rowed today. If our varsity eight didn't row its best race, it was definitely close to the best race of the season. That was a secondary goal this year, to get better every single time we performed this season, and they did that today."

Trinity (Connecticut) took the victory in the Eights final with a time of 6:51.24. Ithaca eclipsed Smith in the second 500 meters of the race and finished the course in 6:57.04. Smith turned in a time of 7:01.35 for third place. Puget Sound, Williams and Colby finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

In the petite final, Smith posted a winning time of 7:01.88. Second-place finisher Coast Guard was followed by Ithaca, Puget Sound, Tufts and Trinity.

Team results

1. (tie) Ithaca* and Smith, 10; 3. Trinity (Conn.), 11; 4. Puget Sound, 13; 5. Williams, 16; 6. Colby, 18.

*Ithaca declared champion on basis of its finish in the grand final.

Event results

Eights: Petite final -- 1. Smith [Elizabeth Fishback (coxswain), Kristina Latta-Landefeld, Ellen Keene, Beth Nieber, Cora Olson, Annie Coppock, Jessica Michalak, Taylor McNeill, Liz Higgins], 7:01.88; 2. Coast Guard, 7:07.31; 3. Ithaca, 7:09.01; 4. Puget Sound, 7:15.57; 5. Tufts, 7:18.28; 6. Trinity (Conn.) 7:19.24.

Eights: Grand final -- Trinity (Conn.) [Emily McLean (coxswain), Tara Maciog, Hadley Wilmerding, Elizabeth Guernsey, Sarah Carter, Katie Gordon, Lauren Massimino, Ali Schmidt, Carmel Zahran], 6:51.24; 2. Ithaca, 6:57.04; 3. Smith, 7:01.35; 4. Puget Sound, 7:03.02; 5. Williams, 7:03.44; 6. Colby, 7:11.73.