GOLD RIVER, Calif. - The Yale heavyweight crew team completed a successful weekend at the 123rd Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships, held on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California. All three Yale boats advanced out of Friday's heats to the A/B semifinals on Saturday, with the third varsity (3V) crew earning its spot in Sunday's grand finals.
Going into the weekend, Yale's 1V, 2V and 3V boats were ranked No. 10, No. 12 and No. 12, respectively in the IRCA/IRA Men's Collegiate Rowing Poll. By the end of the weekend, the Bulldogs finished eighth, ninth and sixth for each of those events, even finishing tied with Dartmouth for the sixth-most team points for the entire regatta.
Varsity Eight (1V)
- To start off the weekend, the 1V finished third in its heat with a time of 5:48.870, advancing to Saturday's A/B semifinal. The boat saw a time of 5:44.380 in the semifinal, which was fast enough to qualify for the petite final on Sunday.
- The petite final saw the Bulldogs finish second behind Penn by the .213 seconds, securing an eighth-place national finish.
Second Varsity (2V)
- In the heats, the 2V finished third with a time of 5:48.990, advancing to the A/B semifinal. In the semifinal race, the boat finished .020 seconds behind Brown, sending it to the petite final.
- In the petite final, the Bulldogs placed third in a highly-competitive race, securing a ninth-place national finish.
Third Varsity (3V)
- The 3V boat raced to a time of 5:58.090 in its heat, placing high enough to advance to the A/B semifinal. The oarsmen finished third in the semifinal behind Washington and Harvard, earning the right to race in Sunday's grand final race.
- Racing for a shot at a national championship, the 3V finished sixth, the highest overall finish of any Yale boat at the regatta.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will now turn their focus to the 159th Yale-Harvard Regatta, taking place in Gales Ferry, Conn., this coming weekend. The fourth varsity will race on Friday, June 5 at 5 p.m., while the first, second and third varsity boats will compete on the afternoon of Saturday, June 7.
