ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy heavyweight rowing team had another successful early-season competition as the Mids swept a three-race slate against Saint Joseph's in late morning action on Monday. Racing on a 2,000-meter course on the Severn River, the Mids (2-0) earned dominant 20-plus second victories in the first and second varsity eight events, before finishing first and second in a competitive third varsity eight race.
"It was another great day to be on the Severn River," remarked head coach
Rob Friedrich. "I thought our athletes handled the rough conditions well and we were ready for the challenge.
"The race of the day was the three-way battle in the third varsity race. Our 4V handled the conditions better than our 3V and worked hard for a lead that they held onto in the last 500 meters of the race. It's a testament to our depth and next-man-up mentality. We have a lot of great competition within the squad, which pushes all of our boats to go faster. That was also seen in our lower boat scrimmage with our 5V and 6V, who raced earlier in the day separate from the Saint Joseph's competition. I'm proud of all of our athletes, who have worked hard to be ready for competition and the opportunity to race."
Starting off with the first varsity eight competition, the home Midshipmen crew had little problem dealing with some choppy mid-day water. Fast from the opening signal, Navy had open water by the 500-meter mark, as Saint Joseph's was hampered by a slow start and catching a crab that forced its entire boat to stop and restart their stroke cadence. The Mids continued building on this early advantage as they eventually won by 37.6 seconds, 6:08.4 to 6:46.0.
The second varsity eight race saw Navy break out to a fast start once again as the Mids were able to navigate the choppy first 1,000 meters and lead wire-to-wire over the Hawks. Navy kept a consistent pace throughout the duration of the race and pulled away for a 21.5-second victory, 6:20.7 to 6:42.2.
The day of racing concluded with the most competitive encounter. The three-boat third varsity eight contest involved the third crews from each of Navy and Saint Joseph's, as well as guest appearance by Navy's fourth varsity crew. That fourth boat of Midshipmen came out on a mission on Monday and broke off the starting line fast and nearly led wire-to-wire as they earned a 3.7-second victory with a time of 6:22.5. The direct competition between the 3Vs was extremely close throughout as the Hawks broke out ahead the Mids over the first 500 meters before the teams were locked in stroke-for-stroke over the next 1,000 meters. Once the Naval Academy's seawall came into view for Navy's 3V, the Mids found that next gear and took their first lead of the race. Though the Hawks pushed late to overtake the Mids, Navy's 3V held on for a 1.0-second margin at the line, 6:26.3 to 6:27.3.
Following Monday's matinee action, Navy will next be in action on Sunday, April 18Â in Fairfax, Va. with neutral site racing against Syracuse.
Race Results
First Varsity Eight
Navy - 6:08.4
Saint Joseph's - 6:46.0
Second Varsity Eight
Navy - 6:20.7
Saint Joseph's 6:42.2
Third Varsity Eight
Navy 4V - 6:22.5
Navy 3V - 6:26.3
Saint Joseph's - 6:27.3
Boat Lineups
