PHILADELPHIA – The three Navy crew programs kicked off their respective fall 2018 schedules on Saturday with 29 boats in action over 11 events at the 2018 Navy Day Regatta. Racing on a 4,000-meter course on the Schuylkill River in a single-file head competition, the Midshipmen from the heavyweight, lightweight and women's ranks came away with four combined wins and 13 top-three results.
 
The day-long event saw the heavyweight team earn victories in the men's open/collegiate four, men's collegiate junior varsity eight and men's open/collegiate eight with the lightweights augmenting Navy's win total with a first-place result in the men's collegiate frosh/novice four.
 
The first victory on Saturday came when a Navy heavyweight crew came in first in the men's open/collegiate four event. Racing as one of 31 boats in the field, Navy clocked in with a time of 13:22.03 that bested its next closest opponent, Marist College, by 5.02 seconds. The Mids' second entry in the event placed fourth at 13:38.34.
 
A dominant performance in the men's collegiate junior varsity race gave Navy its second win of the regatta. Once again it was the Mids' heavyweight team in the winner's circle as their top crew in a 16-boat field completed the 4,000 meters nearly 15 seconds ahead of second place, Drexel. The Mids defeated the Dragons, 12:12.67 to 12:27.27.
 
The men's open/collegiate eight race featured Navy's third victory on Saturday. Competing as one of 27 boats, the Mids' entry edged Drexel by 1.32 seconds with a time of 12:05.22 versus a 12:06.54 for the Dragons. Navy's second heavyweight boat in the race came in seventh at 12:24.77.
 
"Today was a solid training day to help us prepare for the next two weeks," said heavyweight head coach Rob Friedrich. "We have a strong group that rowed very controlled races today. The intensity and focus will be heightened heading to Boston next weekend."
 
The lightweight program added to Hubbard Hall's haul at the Navy Day Regatta. Racing in the 11-boat men's collegiate frosh/novice four event, Navy's top lightweight crew held off its heavyweight Navy brethren by less than a second as the lightweight plebes clocked in at 13:47.76, while the heavyweight newcomers completed the course at 13:48.60. Navy's dominance in the event saw the Mids' second lightweight boat come in at 14:16.65, good for third place. The second heavyweight crew ranked fifth overall at 14:25.49.
 
The next-best lightweight results on Saturday came via the men's collegiate frosh/novice eight and the men's open/collegiate lightweight four races. In the first event, the Mids' top crew came in third place with a 12:28.11 effort in the freshmen race. Navy's top plebe heavyweight entry turned in a time of 12:36.04 to secure fourth place. 14 boats raced in this category. The men's open/collegiate lightweight four saw Penn (13:13.43), Georgetown (13:17.32) and Navy (13:29.40) go 1-2-3, respectively.
 
On the women's side of the ledger, the Mids' varsity had a pair of entrees turn in a nearly identical time in the women's open/collegiate four race with 14:59.01 and 14:59.10 results, respectively. Temple took in the individual title with 14:55.54. 33 boats competed in this discipline.
 
Another strong runner-up finish was obtained by Navy's plebe class in the women's collegiate frosh/novice eight. The local Temple Owl squad narrowly edged the Mids for the event victory with a time of 14:37.07 versus a 14:38.29 mark for Navy. The Mids' second freshmen eight boat came in fourth at 15:07.17.
 
The final female race in which Navy saw action on Saturday was the women's open/collegiate eight. The Mids had two entrees turn in times as part of a 26-boat field. Navy's top crew placed second overall with a 13:34.33 effort. Navy's second boat to finish in the event came in 14:08.59, the seventh-best time in the event.
 
"It was good to get out and race again after a lengthy offseason," remarked women's head coach Joe Schlosberg. "There were definitely things that we did well, as well as things that we need to improve on this fall. We will learn from today, make adjustments and work to get faster."
 
Next up for the top varsity crews from the heavyweight and lightweight programs is action at the Head of the Charles, next Sunday, Oct. 21 in Boston, Mass. The women will return to competition on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Rutgers Fall Classic.

Results

Men's Open/Collegiate 4 (31 boats)
1-Navy HWT – 13:22.03
2-Marist  – 13:27.05
4-Navy HWT – 13:38.34
 
Men's Open/Collegiate LWT 4 (8 boats)
1-Penn – 13:13.43
2-Georgetown – 13:17.32
3-Navy  LWT – 13:29.40
4-Navy LWT  – 13:31.31
 
Women's Open/Collegiate 4 (33 boats)
1-Temple  – 14:55.54
2-Navy  – 14:59.01
3-Navy – 14:59.10
4-Penn – 15:10.12
 
Men's Collegiate Frosh/Novice 8 (14 boats)
1-Penn – 12:13.52
2-Delaware – 12:21.90
3-Navy LWT – 12:28.11
4-Navy HWT – 12:36.04
9-Navy LWT – 13:15.24
10-Navy HWT – 13:39.10
 
Women's Collegiate Frosh/Novice 8 (11 boats)
1-Temple – 14:37.07
2-Navy – 14:38.29
3-Drexel – 14:41.17
4-Navy – 15:07.17
 
Men's Collegiate JV 8 (16 boats)
1-Navy HWT – 12:12.67
2-Drexel – 12:27.27
3-Navy HWT – 12:28.47
4-Georgetown – 12:31.14
5-Navy HWT – 12:44.47
 
Women's Collegiate JV 8 (16 boats)
1-Penn – 13:42.10
4-Georgetown – 14:19.54
5-Navy – 14:22.27
 
Men's Open/Collegiate 8 (27 boats)
1-Navy HWT – 12:05.22
2-Drexel – 12:06.54
6-Georgetown – 12:20.20
7-Navy HWT – 12:24.77
14-Navy HWT – 12:45.67
15-Navy HWT – 12:47.79
 
Men's Open/Collegiate LWT 8 (14 boats)
1-Penn – 11:54.78
4-Georgetown – 12:07.23
5-Navy – 12:08.83
7-Navy – 12:10.54
8-Navy – 12:34.08
 
Women's Open/Collegiate 8 (26 boats)
1-Penn – 13:15.43
2-Navy – 13:34.33
6-Penn – 13:51.45
7-Navy – 14:08.59
 
Men's Collegiate Frosh/Novice 4 (11 boats)
1-Navy LWT – 13:47.76
2-Navy HWT – 13:48.60
3-Navy LWT – 14:16.65
4-La Salle – 14:22.89
5-Navy HWT – 14:25.49