The No. 18 Miami rowing team came out fast — and never let up.
On the opening day of the Sarasota 2K Invitational at Nathan Benderson Park, the Hurricanes sent five of six boats into Saturday’s A Finals, setting the tone for a statement weekend on the water.
The second varsity four (2V4+) crew of Maria Mastrando, Nicole Wyszynski, Krista Jackson, Isabella Raemisch and Holly Prichard opened racing with authority, clocking a 7:38.23 to top Kansas, SMU and West Virginia and give the Hurricanes an early jolt of momentum.
By the end of the day, Miami’s top boat made sure it stayed that way.
The first varsity eight (1V8+) crew closed out racing in dominant fashion, posting a 6:28.98 to win its heat over North Carolina, Louisville, Kansas, Kansas State and Old Dominion. The lineup of Scarlett Pringle, Naroa Zubimendi Varela, Jovana Stanivuk, Samantha Premerl, Mallory Sullivan, Esther Fuerte Chacón, Candela Martinez Pernas, Maria Sole Perugino and Beatrice Ravini Perelli continued what has already been an impressive start to the season, building off a strong showing earlier this month.
Between those two victories, Miami consistently stacked dominant scores across the board.
The 3V8+ “A” crew (6:59.18), 1V4+ (7:33.75) and 2V8+ (6:42.22) each placed second in their respective heats, comfortably securing spots in the A Finals, keeping the Hurricanes firmly in contention across multiple events.
The only setback came in the 3V8+ “B” race, where Miami placed fourth, just outside advancement. It was a minor blemish on an otherwise commanding day.
“We had a successful day of racing, advancing to the A finals in five events,” head coach James Mulcahy said. “It was also an informative day of racing for our crews, learning what each crew could do better. We are excited to strive for improvements tomorrow.”
Miami didn’t just advance. By all accounts, it won.
After this first day in Sarasota, it’s clear that Miami isn’t just competing, it’s positioning itself. With depth across boats and speed at the top, the Hurricanes have strategically placed themselves in striking distance heading into Saturday’s finals.
Miami returns to the water Saturday morning, with the 2V4+ set to open racing at 8:20 a.m.
