WORCESTER, Mass. - The Trinity College women's varsity eight placed second in its six-boat heat to advance to the grand final, as the Bantams ultimately finished sixth in the National Invitational Rowing Championship (NIRC) Regatta this afternoon on Lake Quinsigamond.  The Bantam crew placed second by finishing nearly two seconds faster than third-place Wesleyan in its heat at 6:58.44.  In the grand final, the Bantams posted a sixth-place time of 7:05.42.  Ithaca won the grand final, followed by Wellesley in second and Bates in third.  The finish puts Trinity in third place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championships, which ran concurrently with the NIRC, and Bates was awarded the conference title.  Trinity hopes to continue its season in the NCAA Division III Championships later in the spring.  The field for the event will be selected on May 10.  Trinity's second-varsity eight won its third-level final easily over Mount Holyoke and its third varsity was seventh in its grand final.