LEONIA, N.J. – Saint Joseph's women's rowing's Varsity 8 earned a bronze medal to highlight the Hawks' performance at the SJU Invitational on Saturday.

How it Happened
• The Hawks' Varsity 8 had a standout performance, as St. Joe's notched a second place finish to start the day in an A-10 showdown in the morning heats. In a highly-competitive field, the Hawks battled back from an early deficit and claimed a spot in the Grand Final in the afternoon as they turned in a time of 6:59.8 to place second.
• In a field that consisted of Rhode Island, Boston College and Bucknell, the Hawk's jumped to an early lead. However, the competition pushed hard in the second 1,000 meters, closing the gap and making for an intense final stretch. With powerful surges in the last 500 meters, the Hawk's held off Bucknell and secured a bronze medal.
•  The Hawks' Second Varsity 8 showed tremendous flexibility with some personnel changes late in the week. With Rhode Island, UMass, and George Washington in the morning race, it proved to be a tough matchup for a young Saint Joseph's boat as they finished the course in 7:41.3. 
• Despite placing fourth in the B Final, there were numerous positive takeaways from the race that Hawks' 2nd Varsity 8 will use to prepare for next week.
• In a fiercely contested race, the Varsity 4 showed tremendous effort and heart, but ultimately finished behind some tough competition in its morning heat.
• The Hawk's capped the afternoon with a third-place finish in the B Final in a time of 8:46.0.

Hawk Talk
"The team really showed grit today, especially in our Varsity 8. Their resilience in the morning race against the other A-10 teams was a testament to their commitment. We have a lot to build on, but today was a solid step forward," said Saint Joseph's head coach Gerry Quinlan.

Results
Varsity 8 - Heats
1. Rhode Island 6:55.9
2. St. Joe's 6:59.8
3. George Washington 7:00.2
4. UMass 7:03.8

Varsity 8 - Grand Final
1. Rhode Island 6:57.6
2. Boston College 7:07.6
3. St. Joe's 7:08.5
4. Bucknell 7:08.9

2nd Varsity 8 - Heats
1. Rhode Island 7:11.0
2. George Washington 7:17.5
3. UMass 7:22.9
4. St. Joe's 7:41.3

2nd Varsity 8 - B Final
1. UMass 7:27.6
2. Marist 7:28.7
3. UConn 7:29.9
4. St. Joe's 7:54.4

Varsity 4 - Heats
1. UMass 7:54.2
2. Rhode Island 8:05.5
3. George Washington 8:31.6
4. St. Joe's 8:39.4

Varsity 4 - B Final
1. Marist 8:23.6
2. George Washington 8:31.1
3. St. Joe's 8:46.0

Up Next
The Hawks will compete at the George Mason Invitational on April 13.