Women’s Champ Doubles

ARION’s Keane and McAuliffe Repeat

By Sarah Keneipp – Posted on October 21, 2018

First around the corner coming into the Cambridge Boat Club in the women’s champ doubles race came the blue and white oars belonging to the Advanced Rowing Initiative of the Northeast (ARION) Club of Saratoga, New York. Pulling on those oars were last year’s champs Lily Keane and Maureen McAuliffe. The duo rowed with ease during the Women’s Championship Doubles on Saturday, and took a narrow victory in a time of 18:23, ten seconds off their winning time a year ago.

“It feels great, especially coming back from a long injury. I loved being back on the water with Maureen and winning back-to-back,” said Keane. “I had a more technical focus, considering I was returning from an injury. I wanted to focus on high-quality strokes.”

Keane’s injury didn’t stop her from following her strict workout regimen, and once she was healthy enough, it was business as usual.

Keane and McAuliffe’s win came by less than two seconds over second place boat, belonging to Jenifer Forbes and Elizabeth Sonshine, rowing as a composite boat representing Carftsbury and the USRowing training center in Princeton. Another 15 seconds were Laura Tarantola and Noémie Kober from Aviron Grenoblois at 18:40. Hillary Saeger and Jillian Zieff from Riverside Boat Club were fourth; Keane and McAuliffe’s ARION teammates Morgan Hummel and Ashley Johnson rounded out the top five.

Keane and McAuliffe now have a third Head of the Charles championship in their sights.

“I’d love to keep coming back,” said Keane. “I love being on the Charles.”

(Photo by Riley Robinson)