BOSTON - UC San Diego women's crew coach Pattie Pinkerton added another accolade to her illustrious rowing career on Saturday, winning the Grand Master Four at the Head of Charles in Boston. Pinkerton teamed with Anita Bigelow, Martha Conn, Donna Weston, and former UCSD alum Shannon Oliver (2005) to beat out a 25-team field and claim gold in the event.

The win marked the third team medal and sixth overall for Pinkerton at the Head of Charles. The Tritons' coach has been racking up medals as of late, also winning two golds and a silver at the Canadian Masters in August.

"It's always great to get a good performance out of your team and win," Pinkerton said. "One of the great things about training and racing is that it keeps me in touch with my athletes and what they're going through. Plus, I get to test the workouts I'm going to put them through, so that's an added bonus."

Widely known as the largest regatta in the world, the Head of Charles is hosted by the Cambridge Boat Club and takes place each year on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge. Attracting people from the rowing community the world over, this year's event featured over 55 events and more than 8,500 athletes.

"The Head of Charles is really a who's who in the rowing world," Pinkerton added. "It's great when we can get our women over there to compete; it reminds them they are part of something very special."

Pinkerton said she will now take a break from competing until after the NCAA National Championships next spring to focus on coaching.