WEST WINDSOR, N.J.— Williams Men's Crew returned to Mercer Lake for one last race at the IRA Championships on Saturday morning—the 3
rd level finals in the Varsity Challenge Cup (V8) and Kennedy Challenge Cup (2V8). Battling very difficult conditions with a cold and gusty headwind and pouring rain, both Eph crews finished 6
th in their respective final races, ultimately earning 18
th place finishes in the first and second eights. Williams was ranked 20
th nationally in the IRCA national poll. With the day of racing over, the Ephs finished one of their strongest spring campaigns in recent memory, sending off the Class of '21 on a positive note.
With their 18th place finish Williams men's crew was the top finishing DIII team at the 2021 IRA Championship.
The second varsity eight was first up for the day. The field for the 3
rd level final was Drexel, Williams, Temple, Hobart, University of California San Diego, and Holy Cross. With a great start, the Eph crew sat 3
rd in the field, holding Temple and Drexel in place. Coming through the 1000m mark, the Ephs maintained their margin in 3
rd place, down on the leading crews of Temple and Drexel. The Ephs struggled to keep up the momentum through the final quarter of the race, however, ultimately finishing in 6
th place with a time of 6:52.3, less than 1 boat-length behind 3
rd place Hobart. Stroke seat
Peter Fousek '21 noted, "We jumped off the line and left it all on the course this morning. Both boats had strong performances throughout the weekend. It's really wonderful to see how much progress the team has made from 1v to 5v over the last four years, and how much depth we've developed."
Eph 2V
The field for the 3
rd level final for the first varsity 8 race was Cornell, Oregon State, Williams, Colgate, Temple, and Drexel. Williams got off the start well, sitting amongst a tight pack. The Ephs kept strong and held with Colgate, Temple, and Drexel into the second half of the race. The race would stay fiercely contested and tightly packed through the end with Williams also netting a 6
th place finish, less than one boat-length behind 4
th place Drexel.
Bow seat
Ben Washburne '23 commented on the weekend's racing: "This weekend, Williams Men's Crew established itself as a top rowing program nationwide. It was surreal rowing against Olympic level talent in the semifinals after our fantastic time trial performance. In the finals, we battled back and forth with Drexel, Temple, and Colgate the entire race. Although they ultimately edged us out, I think we turned out our best performance of the year and I could not be prouder to be an Eph. All credit goes to our outgoing senior class, whose leadership and passion elevated the program to the level it is today."
Eph 1V
Eph head coach
Marc Mandel stated,: "What an amazing spring fueled by very purposeful work by all of our athletes. Racing at the IRA was a fitting capstone experience, and I could not be more proud of our effort. Undoubtedly the experience and lessons learned during the event will provide a great foundation for improvement going forward."
