LEONIA, N.J. – The seventh-ranked Navy heavyweight rowing team (4-3) earned victories in four of six races on Sunday in a series of neutral site contests versus No. 12 George Washington and No. 5 Princeton at Overpeck Park. The Mids started the day by going 3-0 in a trio of races against the Colonials before their third varsity eight won in the initial race of the later showdown versus the Tigers.
 
"Today was a great training experience to prepare us for the IRA National Championship," remarked head coach Rob Friedrich. "I was proud of our athletes and their ability to race two fast teams within two hours of each other."
 
The racing on Sunday began with Navy and George Washington matching up in third varsity action. The Mids broke out with a strong start and had a three-seat lead within the first 250 meters. Navy kept its momentum going and increased its lead with a significant move over the next 500 meters and were cleared of the George Washington shell by the midway point. The Mids pulled away further down the stretch for a 15.74-second victory, 5:58.82 to 6:14.56.
 
Navy made it two-for-two to start the day as the Mids went wire-to-wire over the Colonials in the second varsity eight contest. Navy's 2V8 came off the line fast and had a four-seat lead almost immediately. Continuing to accelerate away, the Mids advanced its lead out to seven seats by the 1,000-meter mark. The two boats stayed at that margin for most of the second half of the race before George Washington closed in slightly in the final sprint. The Mids won the race with a time of 5:52.10 versus a 5:53.72 for the Colonials.
 
Navy concluded its first session sweep of George Washington with a win in the first varsity eight competition. In a similar storyline to the 2V8 race, the Mids came off the line strong and had a half-boat lead within the first 500 meters. Navy's crew nearly cleared the George Washington entry prior to the midway mark and held that advantage for most of the final stages of the race. A late sprint by the Colonials drew their boat to as close as five seats before the Mids closed out with a 1.14-second margin of victory, 5:42.54 to 5:43.68.
 
Less than two hours later, Navy and Princeton went head-to-head in a three-race series. The Mids' 3V8 fell behind slightly at the start as the Tigers sprinted out to a one-to-two seat lead over the first opening 500 meters. Navy hit its stride over the next 500 meters and pulled even by the halfway mark of the 2,000-meter race. The Mids kept advancing on the Tigers and overtook their opponent with a dominant third quarter of the race to lead by a length with 500 meters left in the contest. Navy closed out its win with 7.04-second final margin with a time of 5:58.08, while Princeton clocked in at 6:05.12.
 
"Our 3V had a great day, beating a solid GW boat in the first round of racing and then coming from behind to beat Princeton in the afternoon," said Friedrich. "They got down early on the Tigers but they kept fighting all the way down the course, eventually passing Princeton and kept going strong to the finish."
 
In the second varsity eight bout between the Mids and Tigers, Princeton broke out early and had a six-plus seat lead by the quarter mark. The race stayed at that margin for most of the remaining 1,500 meters as the Mids and Tigers matched each other stroke-for-stroke. A late push by Navy helped tighten the final margin as Princeton recorded a 2.96-second victory, 5:49.72 to 5:52.68.
 
"Our 2V had a great start against GW and led wire-to-wire, but fell down early against Princeton," said Friedrich. "I was proud to see them hold Princeton in the middle of the course and then start taking seats in the last 500 meters. It's a young crew and they've improved every week of the season...I expect another big jump in speed as we lead into the IRA's."
 
The day of racing concluded with a first varsity competition and the Navy-Princeton Cup on the line. The Tigers beat the Mids out of the blocks with a strong initial sprint that allowed them to have three-to-four seat lead within the first 500 meters. Princeton expanded its lead to a length by the halfway point and extended it over the second 1,000 meters to earn the 9.79-second win, 5:44.97 to 5:54.76.
 
"The varsity had a great race against GW, took the lead early, looked comfortable at the base, and posted the fastest time of the day," remarked Friedrich. "In the afternoon, we had a tough race against a very strong Princeton crew. We could have rowed better and will need to find another gear on short rest over the next few weeks."
 
Navy will now turn its attention to postseason racing at the end of the month. The Mids are entered to compete in the 2021 IRA National Championships in West Windsor, N.J. The two-day national championship is scheduled for Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29.
 
Race Results
 
First Varsity Eight
Navy – 5:42.54
George Washington – 5:43.68
 
Second Varsity Eight
Navy – 5:52.10
George Washington – 5:53.72
 
Third Varsity Eight
Navy – 5:58.82
George Washington – 6:14.56
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First Varsity Eight
Princeton – 5:44.97
Navy – 5:54.76
 
Second Varsity Eight
Princeton – 5:49.72
Navy – 5:52.68
 
Third Varsity Eight
Navy – 5:58.08
Princeton – 6:05.12

Boat Lineups
 

	First Varsity Eight	Second Varsity Eight	Third Varsity Eight
1	Billy Duffy	Mark Ostrowski	Hill Atwell
2	Reed Schilb	Luke Phelan	Robert Freimuth
3	James Walsh	Claudio Montero	Nathaniel Erickson
4	Ian Dennis	Carey Hutchens	Alex Sucato
5	Griffin Dunne	Aidan Leavy	Sam Beach
6	Will Geib	Griffin Hamilton	Evan Robertson
7	James Sills	Peter Faber	Nick Bostock
Str.	James Pushner	Jack Gill	Jerra Ewing
Cox.	Matthew Catanoso	Tiffany Johnstone	Alex Coleman