WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – In a matchup of the top-two teams in the IRA Lightweight Coaches Poll, No. 1 Navy and No. 2 Yale turned in a competitive five-race slate on Saturday afternoon at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, New Jersey. With the Eads Johnson Cup and the Jon Van Amringe Team Points Trophy up for grabs, each program went home with a piece of hardware as the Bulldogs won the first varsity race and the Johnson Cup, while the Mids took the Van Amringe trophy with three wins.
"The team and coaches talked all week about what an awesome opportunity this weekend was going to be, a couple of the top ranked teams going toe-to-toe in the early season," remarked head coach
Shawn Bagnall. "The racing was fierce across the board in all the boat classes, like an old-school Hagler/Hearns boxing match. Yale is a well-coached team and our hats off to them for their first and fourth varsity wins. While we missed bringing the Johnson Cup home in the 1V, we were proud to bring the JVA Team Points Trophy home to Hubbard Hall. We're excited to continue to improve as we work toward the Eastern Sprints."
Racing in reverse order, Navy's fifth varsity earned the meet's initial victory with a significant 8.5-second win. The Mids finished the 2,000-meter race with a time of 6:12.1 versus a 6:20.6 for the Bulldogs.
The event evened out at one-one as Yale won the fourth varsity eight contest with a 6:09.6 to 6:19.4 final result.
Navy took a two-one lead in the standings for the Van Amringe trophy with a hard-fought 6:05.5 to 6:08.1 decision. The team points trophy was clinched for the Mids on the ensuing race as Navy's second varsity eight held off Yale for a 3.1-second victory, 5:49.1 to 5:52.2.
In the spotlight race of the day with the Johnson Cup on the line, Yale withstood all of Navy's efforts over the contest and won 5:40.5 to 5:44.5.
Navy will be in action twice next Saturday with a pair of contests in Northern New Jersey. Navy will begin its day with a head-to-head bout with Columbia at 8 a.m. at Overpeck Park in Leonia before coming back in seven hours and facing off with Georgetown in a mid-afternoon tilt at 3 p.m.
Results
First Varsity Eight
Yale – 5:40.5
Navy – 5:44.5
Second Varsity Eight
Navy – 5:49.1
Yale – 5:52.2
Third Varsity Eight
Navy – 6:05.5
Yale – 6:08.1
Fourth Varsity Eight
Yale – 6:09.6
Navy – 6:19.4
Fifth Varsity Eight
Navy – 6:12.1
Yale – 6:20.6
Boat Lineups
