William Smith College swept the Liberty League’s top postseason rowing honors following a championship season for the Herons.
The Liberty League announced Friday that William Smith’s varsity eight was named Crew of the Year, while Head Coach Paul Bugenhagen and Assistant Coach Callista Crisonino earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
It marks the first time since 2014 that William Smith has won both the Crew of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year awards in the same season.
The Herons’ varsity eight — made up of Lizzy Whitney, Linnea Darius, Kate Abdalla, Raya Schwartz, Alessandra Gialanella, Aubrey Ryan, Eden Grim, Leah Wiebe, and Meghan Bartholomay — put together a standout spring campaign. The crew earned Liberty League Boat of the Week honors four times and captured the program’s first Liberty League varsity eight title since 2016.
William Smith also earned bronze medals at the New York State Championships, finishing behind two Division I programs, and placed sixth at the National Invitational Rowing Championships in a field featuring 14 nationally ranked crews.
Five Herons also received All-Liberty League recognition. Whitney, Darius, and Abdalla were named to the first team, while Gialanella and Schwartz earned second-team honors.
Bugenhagen and Crisonino guided William Smith to its first Liberty League championship in 10 years and the program’s 10th overall conference title. The Herons won gold medals in three of four events at the league championships and later secured a return trip to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2016.
Sixth-ranked William Smith will compete at the NCAA Rowing Championships May 29th through the 31st in Gainesville, Georgia.
