ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy lightweight rowing team will head north to Philadelphia for its second competition of the 2021 season with a head-to-head bout with Temple University on Saturday. The action between the Mids (1-0) and Owls is slated to start at 11:15 a.m. on the Schuylkill River. Navy will have two boats racing on Saturday morning.

The first varsity eight crews kick off the competition as the top boats from both Navy and Temple race beginning at 11:15 a.m. Approximately 30 minutes later at 11:45 a.m., the Mids and Owls' second crews will race down the 2,000-meter course in the 2V8 event.

Navy vs. Temple
The Mids and Hawks are common opponents in fall head racing in the Northeast as the two squads normally are entered in the Navy Day Regatta, Head of the Charles, Head of the Schuylkill and Princeton Chase events. In spring championship competition, Navy and Temple have occasionally both been in the field at the IRA National Championships with the Owls entering the four-man events.

Last Time Out
The Navy lightweight rowing team had a strong open to its spring 2021 campaign as the Mids swept three races from Marietta College on Saturday, March 27. Competing on the calm, flat waters of their home Severn River course, the Mids defeated the Pioneers in first varsity, second varsity and third varsity eight races. In the showcase race of the meet, Navy's first varsity eight went head-to-head with Marietta and led wire-to-wire over the Pioneers as they rode a fast sprint off the starting line to begin putting open water between their opponent from Ohio. By the midway mark, Navy was ahead of Marietta by two lengths before extending its lead out to three-plus lengths over the final 1,000 meters. Officially, the Mids defeated the Pioneers by 13.9 seconds, 5:53.2 to 6:07.1.

Race Schedule
11:15 AM - First Varsity Eight
11:45 AM - Second Varsity Eight