Eva Barinelli of Tewksbury, Mass., Claims Women's Rowing Postseason Honors

2017 May 19

Eva Barinelli claimed women's rowing postseason honors from the NERC or NIRC.

Senior Victoria Loehle earned back-to-back New England Rowing Championship (NERC) All-Scholar Awards while freshman Christine Hovermale claimed National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC) All-Stewards Team laurels as the two organizations recently doled out postseason honors.

Loehle once again owns the best GPA among her teammates that have spent at least one year at WPI.

Hovermale, one of three WPI All-NEWMAC first teamers, was in the Varsity Eight for all 12 regattas which includes six runner up finishes, including to defending national champion Wellesley at the conference championship. The group was also seventh at the NERC, eighth at the NIRC and 10th at the iconic Head of the Charles. The top Engineer lineup was a top 10 team all spring in the CRCA/USRowing Division III Coaches Poll, including all but one week at No. 9. The combination of the Varsity and Second Varsity Eight was third in the initial NCAA Regional Rankings before closing out the season in the fifth spot.

Seniors Audrey Allen and Jennifer Golden joined Loehle as three-time NIRC All-Academic recipients. Classmates Gina Gonzalez-Roundey and Julia Pershken earned the award in consecutive seasons while Emily Richardson rejoined the list after a brief hiatus. Juniors Alexandra Connor, Catherine Matyas, Paula Sardi and Abigail Sawyer all made their debut on the scroll as did sophomores Eva Barinelli, Madeline Burke, Diana Celaj, Marlies de Jong, Madison Healey, Rachel Peterson, Mary Sheehan and Sarah St. Pierre.

For a student-athlete to be recognized to the NIRC All-Academic Team they must have completed one full-year at their institution (freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible), maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.35 and be recognized as a varsity letter winner.

Women's Rowing enjoyed a top 10 season and finished with its best CRCA/USRowing Coaches Association final ranking since 2013. The Varsity and Second Varsity Eight was also regionally ranked at the end of the season for the first time in program history under 18th-year head coach Jason Steele.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.