ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s rowing team climbed to No. 12 in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Pocock Division III Coaches Poll: Week 2, released Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The ranking follows a strong showing at the Washington College Invitational on March 22, where the Seahawks secured two varsity eight victories, including a five-second win over No. 5 Wellesley College.
The team also outperformed several Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference competitors at the invitational, defeating Washington College, Bryn Mawr College, Stockton University, and Franklin & Marshall College. The victories propelled St. Mary’s into the Top 15, a significant jump from receiving votes in the Week 1 poll on March 18 and no ranking in the preseason poll on March 11.
The Seahawks will look to build on their momentum this Saturday, March 29, hosting Loyola University Maryland for a regatta at 10 a.m. at The Teddy Turner Waterfront. The event marks their next opportunity to showcase their progress in the 2025 season.
Elsewhere on campus, St. Mary’s athletes earned recognition from the United East Conference on Tuesday. Sophomore Collin Fitzgerald of the men’s outdoor track and field team was named Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week. Fitzgerald finished fourth in the 400m (51.51) at the Virginia Wesleyan University Spring Break Invitational, a time that leads the conference and ranks seventh in the Mid-Atlantic Region. He also placed 10th in the long jump (5.83m), good for second in the United East and 16th regionally. This marks his third career outdoor weekly award and second this season.
First-year Rocksann Smith of the women’s outdoor track and field team claimed the Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week honor. Smith shattered the school javelin record with a winning throw of 35.98m at the same invitational, surpassing the previous mark by 15.57m. The performance qualified her for the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference (AARTFC) Championships in May and ranks first in the United East and Mid-Atlantic Region, and fourth in the AARTFC. She also finished fourth in the high jump (1.48m), seventh in the 100m hurdles (20.38), and 18th in the 800m (2:57.44), posting competitive marks across the board.
Sophomore Cleo Solomon of the women’s tennis team rounded out the awards, earning the United East Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week. Solomon contributed to a 7-0 sweep of Bryn Athyn College on March 22, winning 6-1 at No. 1 doubles with Amber Manspeaker and 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. It’s her third career weekly honor. The tennis team (5-4, 1-0 UEC) faces Notre Dame of Maryland University on Wednesday, March 26, in Baltimore.
The track and field teams return to action Saturday, March 29, hosting the annual Seahawk Invitational at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium starting at 9 a.m. The Gold Rush event will include a senior recognition ceremony for cross country and track and field athletes at 11 a.m.
The CRCA, which compiles the rankings, promotes excellence in collegiate women’s rowing while fostering equity and leadership, according to its mission statement. St. Mary’s rise in the poll reflects a growing presence in Division III rowing as the season progresses.
