NEWARK, Del. – Juniors Darra Finnerty and Meredith Rubin have been selected to serve as captains of the University of Delaware rowing team for the 2009-10 season, head coach Laura Slice announced today.

A native of Upper Darby, Pa., Finnerty (at right) enters her third year with the squad as a member of the Varsity Eights boat. Last season, she helped the crew capture three top-three finishes, including a second-place showing during the Kerr Cup.

During her two years with the Varsity Eights crew, she has led the squad to a total of seven top-three finishes.  As a freshman, she also helped guide the boat to a third-place finish at the unofficial Colonial Athletic Association championships during the Kerr Cup.

Rubin, who hails from McLean, Va., earned the UD Alumni Association Team Most Valuable Player award for her efforts last year. She was also selected to the CRCA National Scholar-Athlete squad for her success both in and out of the classroom.

A two-time letterwinner for the Blue Hens, she has served alongside Finnerty as a member of the Varsity Eights boat during the previous two seasons. She also helped the crew finish second during the Saint Joseph's meet and the Kerr Cup last year.

The rowing team has already competed in an exhibition match against Saint Joseph’s and Temple, and it has three more exhibition runs in the fall on Oct. 10 (Navy Day at Philadelphia), Oct. 25 (Princeton Chase) and Oct. 31 (Head of the Occoquan Regatta at Fairfax, Va.). The spring schedule begins on Mar. 13 at Saint Joseph’s.