HADLEY, Mass. – The Union College women's crew team kicked off the spring portion of its 2024-25 schedule on Saturday morning, taking on Amherst College on the rainy waters of the Connecticut River.
 
Dealing with cold temperatures and rain while also racing against a heavy current, Amherst earned a pair of wins by about 25 seconds each in the varsity 8+ and second varsity 8+ competitions.
 
The home team earned the win in the varsity race, finishing in 7:26.1 to Union's time of 7:50.8. Junior Melina McGovern coxed the boat for Union in front of sophomores Emma Friedman (bow), Amy Gagliardi (2 seat) and Sarah Hannan (3 seat); seniors Lena Nowell (4 seat), Sara Beckwith (5 seat), Julia Cole (6 seat) and Olivia Anderson (7 seat); and junior Sadie White (stroke).
 
Amherst also won the second varsity race to start the day with a time of 9:02.6, with Union clocking in at 9:27.1. Led by first-year coxswain Lizzie Vandam, the boat consisted of first-years Elizabeth Canaveral (bow) and Maren Krasner (2 seat), sophomores Mariah Jackson (3 seat) and Susanna Harrow (4 seat), junior Nora Hillery (5 seat), first-year Isabelle Dudek (6 seat), sophomore Olivia Werkema (7 seat) and senior Claire Schroder (stroke).
 
Union will be back on the water next Saturday for the team's lone home regatta of the spring season, when the team hosts Senior Day before a matchup against Vassar College.