The GW women’s crew team competed in the Head of the Potomac, a three-mile race including collegiate and club teams, Saturday afternoon. The United States Naval Academy, Georgetown and the Potomac Boat Club provided tough competition for the Colonial crew.

In the women’s open eight event, the women’s varsity boat finished in second place behind the Potomac Boat Club. The Potomac Boat Club finished the course in 15:42.10 while GW’s team finished in 15:53.80. Navy, which won last year’s event, finished third while Georgetown’s two boats finished in fourth and fifth place.

Although I wish we had won the event, I am extremely happy with how our women rowed, head coach Steve Peterson said. I know many of the girls in the (Potomac Boat Club) crew and they are very experienced and train together year-round. We avenged our loss from last year to Navy.

In the women’s open eight event, GW’s second varsity eight finished in second place while the third varsity eight placed eleventh.

Saturday afternoon also allowed some GW alumni to race, including Aquil Abdullah (’96), who won the men’s open single with a time of 16:16.10. Coach Peterson placed sixth with a time of 17:05.10.

Assistant coach Sam Byrd (`97) came in fifth place in the women’s open single with a time of 19:34.40. Novice women’s coach Angela Hart raced with her husband in a mixed double’s event.

At the event GW honored Mary Jo Warner, the University’s senior associate athletic director, for her continued support of the GW teams.

Crew Notes: GW graduate school alum Christine Collins, who worked out with the GW team three years ago, won a bronze medal in the lightweight women’s double sculls in Sydney, Australia. GW crew alumnus Linda Miller (’94), a member of this year’s United States women’s eight at the Olympics finished sixth Friday in Sydney.

–Patty Thornton