PLOVDIV, Bulgaria — Former Drake rower Chelsea Smith (Edina, Minn.) helped the United States place fourth in the lightweight senior quadruple sculls at the 2012 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships in Bulgaria this past weekend.

Smith along with Hillary Saeger (Dedham, Mass.), Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif.) and Lindsay Hochman (Seattle, Wash.) finished in a time of 6:45.26. Poland took first place with a time of 6:36.17 followed by Denmark at 6:37.82 and Italy took third with a time of 6:39.13.

Smith's team qualified for the final after they took second in their heat with a time of 6:49.57 last Thursday.

Smith, who rowed for Drake from 2006-10, won a pair of bronze medals this past October at the XVI Pan American Games in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico.

The 2012 Drake Bulldogs rowing team, coming off its first conference title in school history, will start their season at home with the Head of Des Moines Regatta on Saturday, Sept. 29.