Local Woman Places at National Crew Competition

The Clemson Crew Team won third place in the Women’s Collegiate 4 category in the recent Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.

The Clemson team placed third out of 28 boats racing in the category, rowing the 5K race in under 19 minutes.

“We are extremely excited about our placing in this race. It shows that as a team we are improving and succeeding in our goals. As our coaching staff has become stronger, so have our rowers,” said Morgan Cole, public relations chairwoman and alumni representative for the Clemson Crew Team.

Rowers in the race were Leigh Allison of Mount Pleasant, a senior biosystems engineering major; Sydna Howard of Simpsonville, a senior construction science and management major; Emily Lavender of Berwyn, Pa., a senior environmental science major; Greg Gettings of Bluffton, a sophomore finance major; and Alli Manhard of Johnson City, Tenn., a senior electrical engineering major.

The Head of the Charles Regatta, held on the Charles River in Boston, is the largest regatta in the world and includes participants from colleges, high schools and rowing clubs from every state as well as several other countries. The regatta was started in 1965 by the Cambridge Boat Club and draws a crowed of around 300,000.

Founded in 1988, Clemson Crew is a co-ed team with 100 members representing a variety of majors and rowing backgrounds.