ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Postseason action at the 2021 Patriot League Championship lies ahead for the Navy women's rowing program on Friday in Cherry Hill, N.J. Racing on a 2,000-meter stretch of water on the Cooper River, the Mids will be on the hunt for their sixth straight conference title and eighth in program history. All-time, Navy has won league titles in 2005, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The winner of Friday's Patriot League Championship will earn the conference's automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Championship that is set for Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., May 28 through 30. The racing on Friday begins at 8:00 a.m. with preliminary heats before advancing to championship finals at 12-noon. All of the action will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live results provided by Regatta Timing.

Navy is seeded first in all three classifications: first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four. No. 2 Bucknell, No. 3 Boston University and No. 4 Lehigh follow Navy as top contenders in the first varsity eight, while the order changes slightly in the second varsity eight and first varsity four seedings as Boston and Bucknell flip second and third seeds and Colgate replaces Lehigh as the fourth-seed crew in both events.

Navy's official race times are set for 8:02 AM - First Varsity Eight ... 8:30 AM - Second Varsity Eight ... 9:00 AM - First Varsity Four

This year's championship will be scored on a weighted scale, with nine points for the winner of the varsity four race, 18 for the second varsity eight and 27 for the varsity eight. The Patriot League Championship will be awarded to the school that accumulates the most total points in the three races. If there is a tie in final point total, the higher-place finisher of the varsity eight race is crowned Patriot League champion. Awards will also be given for Coach of the Year and Boat of the Year.

The complete field at the Cooper River this Friday will consist of Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Loyola, and Navy.

Navy at the Patriot League Championship
Competing at the Patriot League Championship since 2005, the Mids have won 24 individual boat titles: five in the first varsity eight, 10 in the second varsity eight and nine in the first varsity four events. The program swept the three-race slate completely in 2005, 2015 and 2019. These boat titles had direct impact on Navy taking home the league team championship seven times: 2005, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Last Five Patriot League Championships
2020: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019: V8-1st ... 2V8-1st ... V4-1st
    Navy 54 team points // Bucknell 48
2018: V8-1st ... 2V8-1st ... V4-5th
    Navy 50 team points // Boston 46
2017: V8-2nd ... 2V8-1st ... V4-1st
    Navy 51 team points // Boston 46
2016: V8-1st ... 2V8-2nd ... V4-2nd
    Navy 49 team points // Boston 48

Most Recent Patriot League Championship ~ May 17, 2019 
Coming in as the favorites for the 2019 Patriot League Championship, the Navy women's rowing team didn't let the outside pressure get to it as the Mids breezed to their fifth straight league title. Racing on a 2,000-meter course on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., the top-seeded Mids turned in a trio of dominant performances in the morning heats before turning around in the afternoon and sweeping the first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four races on their way to a perfect score of 54 points and the league crown. Navy was followed in the standings by the Bucknell Bison, who placed second in all three races for a total of 48 points.

The Mids' first varsity eight boat clinched the clean sweep and team title for Navy with a pair of dominant performances. In the morning's first heat, Navy clocked in with a time of 6:39.444 that cleared its nearest competitor, Bucknell, by 10.846 seconds. The same duo raced down the course in the grand final in first and second place as the Mids lead wire-to-wire on their way to a 5.964-second win over the Bison, 6:26.834 to 6:32.798. Navy's V8 was named the 2019 Patriot League Boat of the Year, head coach Joe Schlosberg was recognized as the Patriot League Coach of the Year..

Friday's Schedule of Events
Heat Racing
8:02 a.m. - Varsity Eight (Heat 1)
#1 Navy, #4 Lehigh, #5 Colgate

8:30 a.m. - Second Varsity Eight (Heat 1)
#1 Navy, #4 Colgate, #5 Lehigh

9:00 a.m. - Varsity Four (Heat 1)
#1 Navy, #4 Colgate, #5 Holy Cross

Finals
12:05 PM - Second Varsity Eight (Grand Final, Positions 1-6)
12:20 PM - First Varsity Four (Grand Final)
12:35 PM - First Varsity Eight (Grand Final)