Sept. 4, 2007
MUNICH, Germany - Rachel Jeffers '07, who stroked the Yale varsity to the NCAA championship last May, won a gold medal at the 2007 FISA World Rowing Championships on Saturday. Jeffers was a part of the women's four that won by nearly 2.5 seconds.
The team of Jeffers, Megan Dirkmaat, Erin Cafaro and Portia J. McGhee took control of the race during the second 1,000 meters and pulled away from the rest of the field. The crew trailed Germany through the first half of the race before making its move. The boat used its experience to power past the German boat in the third 500 meters and finished with a time of 6:37.94. Germany captured the silver medal, while Australia won the bronze.
"It was a well fought race," Jeffers told USRowing.com. "It took us a little time to find our rhythm. We took a `breathe' call around the 500, and I think that really helped us, especially in the tailwind when it was easy to spin your wheels. I think we started to find our rhythm there."
The gold medal was the second of the summer for Jeffers, who was part of the winning eights at the World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, in July. She will now set her sights on earning a spot on the 2008 United States Olympic team.
Ashley Brzozowicz `04, an All-American at Yale who helped the Bulldogs to a second place finish at the 2004 NCAA Championships, rowed in the eight for the Canadian National Team at the World Championships for the second straight year, but did not win a medal.