The University of Dayton women’s rowing program returned to a normal season during the 2021-22 school year and improved in numerous areas, both as individuals and as a team. After two seasons affected by COVID, the Flyers were eager and ready to get back on the water to compete.
“We set our goals high to bring the most out of ourselves, and it allowed us to reach speed that allowed us to stay in the closest of races,” said senior Colleen McDonnell. “This year we learned a lot about how to fight well for each other in a race. We learned how to make each other better by bettering ourselves individually. It was fun to watch the team come together in Florida, and to reach our potential through racing.”
“Most of our team has never experienced a season without COVID so to have a normal season was exciting,” said junior Emmi Amaral. “With COVID hitting my freshman year, this was my first normal season. We were able to hang out as a team and continue team traditions that I have never experienced before. This helped strengthen our team bonds which translated onto the water. We also were able to travel to more races this season and that gave us the ability to compete against teams we normally do not see. Lining up next to those teams certainly helped us competitively and was a big part in preparing for A-10’s.”
"It was amazing to finally have a somewhat normal season again," added McDonnell. "We thankfully had the ability to travel and practice regularly. I know our seniors felt like we had a big job to pass on traditions that were present before the pandemic hit. It was fulfilling to pass the stories and traditions on to the younger teammates."
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
The Flyers had one regatta in the fall to prepare for the season and had a strong performance at the Bald Eagle Regatta in Indianapolis. Dayton’s novice 8+ won its event while three other boats placed second.
Competition picked back up in the spring on March 19 at the Marietta-Purdue Challenge Cup. The Flyers faced tough weather conditions and only competed in two, shortened races with the 2varsity 8+ boat winning its event.
The Flyers then met Atlantic 10 foe Duquesne in a dual-meet in Indianapolis with the varsity 8+ and novice 8+ boats placing first in their heats.
Dayton then participated in the prestigious SIRA meet down in Tennessee with another strong team performance. Each boat improved from heat to heat as the team really started hitting its stride. The varsity 8+ and 2varsity 8+ squads finished fourth amongst challenging fields of competitors while varsity 4+ won its petite final.
From there, the Flyers went to George Mason in a regatta highlighted by a first-place finish by the novice 8+ in the petite final. Once again, each boat improved on its time from the opening race to the final.
In the final warm-up before the conference championships, Dayton went north to Eastern Michigan and had top finishers in the 2varsity 8+ and novice 8+ boats.
At the conference championships in Pennsauken, N.J., the Flyers’ varsity 8+ boat finished fifth overall in the grand final, just two seconds behind fourth-place Fordham. The 2varsity 8+ excelled in the petite final, finishing first overall. In the varsity 4+ races, the first team placed second in the petite final while the second team finished fourth. It was an all-around successful ending to the 2022 season.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Colleen McDonnell – First Team All-Atlantic 10, 2022 R.U.D.Y. Award, CollegeAdvantage Student-Athlete of the Week (May 18)
Gabby Snyder – Dayton All-Academic Team
Flyer Challenge Award – Dayton’s award for the team that participates the most in community service – Women’s rowing won it this season
SENIOR PLANS
The following student-athletes have expressed their plans after graduation:
Angie Loriso – Will be attending Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville on a dietetic internship to get her Master's in Nutrition & Dietetics
Colleen McDonnell – Graduated Magna Cum Laude. Will be attending the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
Emma Speyer – Accepted a position with Innovation Ohio, a policy advocacy group in Columbus Ohio, as their Research and Communications Associate.
Grace Yingling – Graduated Magna Cum Laude. Recipient of the Operations and Supply Management Professional Service Award. Returning to her hometown of Columbus where she has accepted a position as an Operations Supervisor at DHL Supply Chain at the Brooks account
Haylee Zigmund – Graduated Magna Cum Laude. Co-Winner of The Harry F. Finke, 1902, Award of Excellence to the Outstanding Senior in Civil Engineering. Will be living and working in Columbus at Woolpert, a civil engineering design firm
WHY DAYTON ROWING?
"The best part of being a part of the rowing team is by far my teammates," said Amaral. "My teammates make the countless hours spent on the water and in the weight room way more enjoyable. The thing about rowing is that you must have a strong relationship with everyone in your boat. When you don’t think you can give anymore during a race, you start pulling for every girl in your boat to cross the finish line and you have to trust that your teammates are doing the same for you. This mutual relationship with my teammates has given me some of the strongest friendships I have ever had. I know that I have made friendships that I'll have for the rest of my life. There is no one else I would want to experience college with or cross the finish line with."
"The best part of being on the Dayton Rowing team would be the team atmosphere," said McDonnell. "We support and challenge each other daily to become our best selves. Being on the Dayton Rowing team means that we choose to do what is tough because it will better the team. This is what makes our team admirable. My best advice for anyone interested in joining would be to give it your all. Put as much energy into pulling potential out of your teammates as you do for yourself. Let your teammates and the sport of rowing shape you into a better person. Don't forget to enjoy this opportunity to row for UD because, although challenging, this experience will be the most rewarding."
"Our focus for next season is to pick up where we left off in the spring," said Amaral. "We want to carry the momentum we created this spring straight to the fall and fight for our spot on the podium at A-10s as soon as we get back out on the water. With a lot of our team being seniors next year, we want to go out with medals."
