Williams Wins 2011 ECAC Rowing Trophy

Courtesy ECAC

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) announced that Williams College has been recognized as the winner of the 2011 ECAC Rowing Trophy. The Ephs will be honored on Sunday, Oct. 2, during the Honors Dinner of the ECAC Convention and Trade Show in Hyannis.

Williams becomes just the second NCAA Division III institution to earn the ECAC Rowing Trophy, which was established in 2002. Trinity College claimed the distinction first in 2006 before taking home the award again last season.

The ECAC Rowing Trophy is given annually to the ECAC college or university men's and women's rowing programs that best demonstrate the core values of the ECAC (tradition, diversity and service), along with success at the two premier Eastern regattas, the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) Sprints and Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges (EAWRC) Sprints. The trophy is awarded based on a points average for the finish of the varsity eight, second varsity, and novice eight entrees in the EARC Heavyweight, EARC Lightweight, and EAWRC Openweight regattas.

ECAC Rowing Coach of the Year Peter Wells, who has built the Ephs into a men's crew perennial powerhouse since his arrival in 1982, saw his first varsity boat place second at the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships. The second varsity boat not only took home gold at that championship regatta, but also became the first Williams crew to have an undefeated season. The freshman eight came in fifth as the Ephs took the silver medal overall.

On the women's side, Williams captured four first-place finishes and the Women's Overall Points Trophy with 78 points over runner-up Trinity (70) at the ECAC Championships. The first varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity eight and novice eight were victorious.