Sept. 27, 2007

Washington, D.C. - Under the direction of new Women's Rowing Coach Glen Putyrae, the fall crew season gets underway this Sunday as the Hoyas compete in, and host, the 27th Annual Charlie Butt Scullers' Head of the Potomac

Founded in 1869, Potomac Boat Club is the oldest and one of the best known rowing clubs in the Washington, D.C. area. It is home to some 300 senior members, ranging from recreational rowers to Olympic athletes. PBC features several successful competitive programs for scullers and sweep rowers, and has served as the home of Washington-Lee High School crew under a cooperative agreement going back more than 50 years.

Located in the shadow of Key Bridge along the D.C. waterfront, the historic PBC boathouse has survived several floods, numerous hurricanes, and the catastrophic fire that destroyed the Washington Aquedect, the remaining abutment of which shelters many of the members' rowing shells.

Aside from providing the training ground for a long list of highly successful national team, club, and master rowers, PBC is perhaps best known as the host of the Scullers' Head of the Potomac, a fall regatta which began in 1981. In its early years, the Scullers' Head of the Potomac featured events only for scullers (that is, rowers using two oars each), including the unusual and impressive Grand Challenge Octuple. While the regatta now includes a full complement of sweep-oared events as well, the regatta maintains its original name as a testimony to its heritage and as a tribute to the man who inspired it, Charlie Butt, Jr.

The women's boats are as followed:

Women's Open 8
Bevin Reilly - Cox
Melissa Horne - 8
Maria Lipperini - 7
Alexis Zink - 6
Erin Carter - 5
Christianne Persenaire - 4
Victoria Koke - 3
Hannah Woit - 2
Morgan McGovern - Bow

Women's Club 8 - B
Allison Young - Cox
Madeline Sarason - 8
Anika DeVolder - 7
Julia McCarthy - 6
Katharine Dwyer - 5
Jennifer Young - 4
Samantha Stevens - 3
Claudia Daisley - 2
Catherine Maloney - Bow

Women's Open 4 - A
Juliana Pugliese - cox
Kaitlin Roe - 4
Claire Mongeau - 3
Rachael Yashar-Brown - 2
Elizabeth Reahard - Bow

Women's Open 4 - B
Danielle Valle-Fitzgerald - cox
Katharine Thompson - 4
Christianne Persenaire - 3
Alex Vezina - 2
Kristin Jasiukiewicz - 1

You can visit the Head of the Potomac website at http://www.potomacboatclub.org/headpoto.php for a schedule of events, a full list of crew entries, directions to the race venues and much more.