Lightweight Varsity Four Claims IRA National Championship

Mids led wire-to-wire to earn title

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The varsity four crew from the Navy lightweight rowing team turned in an award-winning performance on Saturday at the 2022 IRA National Championship. Racing at Mercer Lake against a field of the fastest lightweight four-man crews in the nation, the Mids were unfazed by the setting and controlled the pace throughout the 2,000-meter race to earn the event championship.

The only Navy lightweight crew on the water on Saturday, the team of Lucas Schatz, Matt Fox, David Jackson, Jonathan Greenberg and coxswain Kyle Jung used a strong start to break out to a slight 0.88-second lead over Harvard at the 500-meter mark. The Mids began to make a significant move away from the field during the next 500-meter section as they pulled ahead of the Crimson by 2.6 seconds by the mid-point. The Navy-Harvard showdown continued as the two teams were separated by 2.08 seconds at the 1,500-meter before the Mids advanced out a near open water break towards the finish line and Navy won by 2.45 seconds, 6:23.423 to 6:25.873. Dartmouth earned the bronze medal for the V4 division with a final time of 6:26.567.

"We're incredibly proud of how these guys came together," remarked James Sands, Navy's assistant coach, who guided the V4 crew. "Today's result was the culmination of a group effort that started the day that the Eastern Sprints wrapped up. This group was largely 3V guys who left the Sprints knowing there was a better race within their reach, and resolute to the work in front of them.

"We hope it's a day that the new officers will take a minute to reflect on and take with them. And for the returners, we'll look for them to bring this experience into higher boats in the year to come."

Navy's first varsity and second varsity eight crews will conclude the IRA National Championship on Sunday in a pair of grand finals. The Mids' 2V8 will race at 9:40 a.m., while the V8 are scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. final.

Race Result

Varsity Four
First of 6 in Grand Final
Navy – 6:23.423 **First in the nation
Harvard – 6:25.873
Dartmouth – 6:26.567
Columbia – 6:27.179
Marietta – 6:29.823
Cornell – 6:30.097

Lineup