The URI women’s rowing team won its second straight Atlantic 10 championship on May 4, clinching the school’s first-ever NCAA Championship bid in the process.

Heading into the final race of the day, the Rams held a one-point lead over Massachusetts and George Washington. Rhode Island’s Varsity 4 boat—consisting of junior Kaitlyn Rupert, sophomores Michelle Forte, Jess Bergen, and Hannah Milam, and freshman cox Avery Cohen—won its race, beating the rest of the field by more than six seconds to clinch the title and the spot in the 22-team field at the NCAA Championship in Indianapolis May 31 through June 2.

It was URI’s fourth Atlantic 10 title since 2008. This season marked the first time the A-10 champion earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

The Rams also had four women named to the 2013 Atlantic 10 Rowing All-Conference team. Seniors Anne Mulholland, Lotte Sherman, and Alice Murray were named to the first team, while senior Ari Wakeman was named to the second team.