WORCESTER, Mass. – After a thrilling regular season of closely-contested races, the Yale lightweights commenced their championship campaign at the EARC Sprints in Worcester, Massachusetts this Sunday. The Bulldogs showcased depth as all crews raced in grand finals, with the Yale 3V and 4V winning gold and bronze, respectively. The Yale varsity and junior varsity eights punched their tickets to the IRA National Championships in June.

Clear skies and a strong tailwind dominated the forecast for the entirety of the Sunday racing slate, creating a tremendous atmosphere for both spectators and racers alike.

In the morning heats, all the Yale crews qualified for the Grand Finals.

At 3:30 p.m., the Yale third varsity eight took on Cornell, Navy, Harvard, Princeton and Penn. Off the start, Yale emerged as the leader but was closely tracked by the rest of the field. As they passed through the 500m mark, all six crews remained within a length, with Yale retaining a half-length lead. Through the midway point, Yale and Cornell had separated themselves from the rest of the field by about a length, with the latter beginning to cut into the lead as a barn burner began to take shape for the fate of the Kilpatrick Cup. The Bulldogs entered the sprint with a mere bow deck advantage over Cornell, but the Big Red surged in the dying meters of the race, prompting a photo-finish to decide the winner. After a short delay, it was revealed that Yale held strong to win their first Kilpatrick Cup since 2017, by less than a tenth of a second, culminating a historic undefeated season in the third varsity eight.

At 4:20 p.m., the second varsity eight Grand Final commenced, featuring Princeton, Harvard, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth and Yale lining up from lane one through six. The start featured multiple lead changes across a tight-knit field, with Princeton, Yale, Cornell and Harvard each experiencing advantage over the rest of the field at some point during the first minute of the race. Through the middle 1000m, Yale was positioned in fourth but remained within contact of leading Princeton. As crews closed in on the sprint, the Bulldogs kept themselves in the mix as they challenged for medals the entirety of the 2000m distance. However, Yale would run out of room in the closing meters to finish fourth but nonetheless contribute strong points in the Jope Cup standings. Princeton finished first, followed by Harvard and then Cornell.

Throughout the EARC regular season, the first varsity eight races league-wide featured bow ball to bow ball finishes and mixed results, shaping up for a highly anticipated grand final. Racing from lane one through six were Penn, Princeton, Harvard, Navy, Yale and Cornell. As predicted, all six crews remained within a half-length through the first 500m. As the crews crossed into the latter half of the race, Princeton emerged with a slim lead but was closely tracked by the Bulldogs and the rest of the field. In the final sprint, Yale fought hard to challenge for podium but finished sixth. With their placement, Yale received an automatic entry into the IRA National Championships in June.

The Yale 4V and 5V raced in straight finals. In the lightweight 5V-heavyweight 6V race, Yale finished second behind Navy among lightweights. In the fourth varsity eight grand final, Yale faced off against Dartmouth, Princeton, Navy and Cornell. The Bulldogs fought hard to earn bronze ahead of Princeton and Dartmouth, while Cornell and Navy took gold and silver, respectively.

Results can be found here.