SHELTON, Conn. -- Defending national champion Wellesley College crew opened the 2016-17 season on Saturday, competing at the annual Head of the Housatonic Regatta at River at Indian Well State Park. 

The Blue's first varsity eight (V8) competed in the Division I race taking 14th out of 34th, finishing in a time of 15:08.9.

Wellesley's second varsity eight (2V8) and third varsity eight (3V8) finished second and third respectively in the non-division I race. The second varsity eight finished second only to Coast Guard crossing the line in 15.40.8 while the third varsity eight finished in 16.09.8.

In the Novice Eight race, Wellesley's top novice boat earned fourth place with a time of 19:07.8 followed closely by the second novice boat which finished in fifth with a time of19.18.1. Coast Guard took first with a time of 17:10.9. 

Wellesley will continue the fall season in two weeks at the 52nd Head Of The Charles Regatta on the Charles River in Boston. The Blue's varsity and second varsity crews each placed in the top-15 at last year's HOCR, with the V8 taking fourth and the 2V8 placing 15th. 

Wellesley Lineups for the Head of the Housatonic Regatta: 

Varsity 8+: C Sydney Stento, 8 Emilia Ball, 7 Kathryn Barth, 6 Sydney Dollmeyer, 5 Faye Washburn, 4 Lauren Bazley, 3 Olivia Duggan, 2 Rhiannon Mulligan, 1 Chloe Carlander

2nd Varsity 8+: C Alexa Taga-Anderson, 8 Eve Montie, 7 Meg Babikian, 6 Ali Rondeau, 5 Audrey Ellis, 4 Jocelyn Reahl, 3 Mia Caglieris, 2 Katie Livingston, 1 Stephaine Song

3rd Varsity 8+: C Megan Kang, 8 Julia Wainwright, 7 Alyssa Rivera, 6 Annie Schnitzer, 5 Liz Shumway, 4 Sianna Casey, 3 Anna Gaskill, 2 Alexis Lowe, 1 Becky Rudolph

Novice 8+: C Leafia Sheradan-Cox, 8 Alison Carey, 7 Allie Collins-Anderson, 6 Frances Dingivan, 5 Taylor Burke, 4 Sabine Adamson, 3 Vienna Thomas, 2 Emma Bruce, 1 Anya Keomurjian

2nd Novice 8+: C Charlie Kasper, 8 Ariel Wons, 7 Maria Barrera, 6 Maddy Allan-Rahill, 5 Jordan Street, 4 Lillian Armstrong, 3 Olivia Holbrook, 2 Emmet Odegaard, 1 Emma Conrad-Rooney