Ithaca College

London -- Meghan Musnicki, a 2005 Ithaca College graduate and member of the United States Olympic rowing team, won a gold medal Thursday morning with the women's 8. The U.S. won its second straight gold medal, leading the race from the start and beating Canada by a half length.

Musnicki, who rowed in gold-medal winning boats at the World Rowing Championships, is in her first year with the U.S. Olympic team. She earned her spot following the last month's trials at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.

The women's 8 posted a winning time of 6:10.59, defeating Canada and the bronze-medal winning Netherlands. The U.S. team has not lost a competitive 8 race internationally since winning the 2006 world title in London.

The U.S. crew, which also included Caryn Davies, Caroline Lind, Eleanor Logan, Taylor Ritzel, Esther Lofgren, Susan Francia, Erin Cafaro and coxswain Mary Whipple, won the country's third women's 8 gold medal (the Americans won in 1984 in Los Angeles and in 2008 in Beijing).

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