Moon Township, Pa. - In its final tuneup for the 2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships, the Robert Morris University women's rowing team won a pair of heats at the Car-Du-Pitt-Romo this weekend in Pittsburgh, Pa.

RMU's varsity four boat that consisted of juniors Gretchen Gailey (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area), Jamie Witsch (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Catholic) and Ashley Wright (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland), sophomore Megan Coleman (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Northgate) and freshman Julie Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Catholic) posted a time of 7:53.80 to win its heat and finish ahead of Pittsburgh's "A" boat, Duquesne, John Carroll and Carnegie Mellon.

The varsity four "B" boat for Robert Morris posted a fourth-place finish in its heat thanks to a time of 8:39.64, trailing Duquesne and Pittsburgh's "B" boats as well as Case Western.

The boat consisted of senior Chelsea Thornton (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Carrick), juniors Mackenzie Chambers (Auburn Hills, Mich. / Berkley) and Caitlin Mullin (Irwin, Pa. / Penn-Trafford) and sophomores Rebecca Cole (Glenville, Pa. / Christian School of York) and Kimberly Gojmerac (Johnstown, Pa. / Greater Johnstown).

In novice action at the Car-Du-Pitt-Romo, the novice four finished first in its heat thanks to a time of 8:13.00, while the novice eight earned third with a time of 7:55.08.

The novice four boat pulled in ahead of Duquesne and Cleveland State and consisted of freshmen Heather Hodges (Valencia, Pa. / Mars Area), Althea O'Brien (Sewickley, Pa. / Eden Christian Academy), Caitlin Martin (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Upper St. Clair), Cassandra Grafton (Hartstown, Pa. / Jamestown Area) and Laura Mooradian (St. Catharines, Ontario / Denis Morris).

Hodges, Martin and Mooradian also participated in a novice eight boat that trailed only Pittsburgh and Rochester but ahead of Duquesne and Case Western.

Joining that trio for the Colonials were freshmen Kristin Fay (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia), Brianna Hellier (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area), Erica Sablofski (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum), Kelsey Porter (Mount Pleasant, Pa. / Mount Pleasant) and Jenna Vidic (West Sunbury, Pa. / Moniteau).

Robert Morris next travels to the 2012 MAAC Rowing Championships, which will take place Saturday, April 28, at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.