The top-ranked Wisconsin women's rowing team lived up to its advance billing, winning the varsity lightweight eight for the fifth consecutive time, and capturing the second varsity lightweight eight race at the 2009 Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges Conference Championships on Sunday on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. The results gave the Badgers the Konrad Ulbrich Trophy as lightweight team champion for the third consecutive time. The trophy is in just its third year of existence.

In the varsity lightweight eight, the Badgers continued their unbeaten season by timing 6:47.631 over 2000 meters. Fourth-ranked Princeton finished nearly seven seconds back in 6:54.305 to claim second place. No. 5 Georgetown, No. 2 Radcliffe and No. 7 MIT rounded out the results, respectively.

Rowing in the championship-winning crew were coxswain Heidi Hunsberger, as well as Dani Dewitt, Adrienne Winfield, Margot Schoellkopf, Kaela Erickson, Katie Fink, Grace Lautman, Mia Cava and Lane Benes.

The second varsity lightweight eight dominated in its race, winning by over 19 seconds. UW clocked a 7:00.193 to Radcliffe's 7:19.369 to claim victory. In fact, the Badgers' time in the second varsity lightweight eight would have been about a boat length behind No. 2 Radcliffe's time in the varsity lightweight eight and ahead of No. 7 MIT.

Shelley Miller coxed the winning second varsity lightweight eight, with Kelley Kowitz, Gabby Waclawik, Breanne Lynch, Sarah Padway, Taylor Fries, Katelin Ludwig, Johanna Brady and Amanda Montgomery making up the crew.

Two Badger boats entered the varsity lightweight four, with Wisconsin placing second and fourth behind winner Princeton and third-place Georgetown.

The Badgers now look ahead to the 2009 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, June 4-6 in Gold River, Calif. Wisconsin will look for its second consecutive varsity lightweight eight national title and the program's fifth title in six years.