The Canisius College rowing team raced to a seventh place finish at the 49th annual Head of the Charles Regatta on Saturday afternoon in Boston, Mass.

Racing some of the nation's fastest crews, the Griffs worked their way up through the 29-crew field, from their starting position of 27th, to finish in 17:32. Canisius was the fourth collegiate crew to cross the line.

"I'm extremely proud of how hard our women raced today,” said head coach Joel Furtek. “Starting way back in the field, [sophomore coxswain] Hannah Blum had to steer an exceptional course. The Charles is challenging on its own, but passing crews makes it extremely difficult, and she nailed it.”

Canisius was the fourth collegiate crew to cross the line and the Griffs' finish ensured them an automatic berth into next year's 50th running of the famed regatta.

"Placing fourth among the colleges is a great statement for our young team,” Furtek said. “We fell just short of Drexel, and otherwise lost only to Radcliffe (Harvard) and Brown, two programs with eight NCAA championships between them.”

The Griffs' Varsity Eight was composed of junior Liz Reinwald, freshman Liz DelBarba, sophomore Corrine Kickel, sophomore Nora Kennon, senior Liz McKinney, Senior Amanda Kielich, senior Allison Braun, and senior Bridget Laszewski with Blum as the coxswain.

"Race day is the best day of a racer's life, but the day after a race is a close second,” Furtek said. “I'm thrilled for our women to carry this great row through the weekend; they raced well on a grand stage. I hope this helps us get the word out, that we're building great speed here at Canisius.”

The Head of the Charles closes out the Griffs' fall racing schedule, with the program competing in its third championship season this spring.