ANNAPOLIS, Md. - All three Navy rowing programs will begin the varsity portion of its fall racing schedule on Sunday at the Navy Day Regatta. The heavyweight, lightweight and women's teams will have 14 entries racing in a head-style time trial format on a 4,000-meter stretch of the Schuykill River in Philadelphia beginning at 9:58 a.m. Hosted by Saint Joseph's University, Navy is slated to compete against institutions from across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions over six different classifications.
The lightweight team will be most active throughout the day as they'll have six boats entered across three separate events. The 150s also will be on the water first first with a single entry in the Men's Collegiate Lightweight Fours at 9:58 a.m. Less than a half hour later, Navy's plebes will hit the water at 10:22 a.m. as part of the Men's Collegiate Novice Eights. The nine-team field of novice and freshmen crews will consist of two from the Navy lightweights, one from the Navy heavyweights along with six other entrants. The final action of the day for the lightweight program will be at 12:52 p.m. with the Men's Collegiate Lightweight Eights.
After its freshmen kickstart the day for the Navy heavyweights in the above-mentioned novice contest at 10:22 a.m., the varsity ranks will be well represented in the Men's Collegiate Eights event at 12:30 p.m. with five boats slated for action. 15 different schools will have crews racing amongst the overall field of 30 boats.
The women's team will be in action with four separate entries; two in the Women's Collegiate Novice Eights and two in the Women's Collegiate Eights. The plebes will be first up to navigate the Schuylkill as their event starts at 10:32 a.m. The more experienced members of Navy's women's program will head out on its 4,000-meter piece at 1:08 p.m.
Sunday marks the first varsity collegiate competitions for any of Navy's three programs since late spring when the heavyweight and lightweight teams concluded their respective seasons at the IRA National Championship in West Windsor, N.J. in early June, while the women wrapped up their 2023 campaign at the NCAA Championship in Cherry Hill, N.J. in late May.
Sunday's racing will serve as preparation for the top varsity boats from the heavyweight and lightweight teams, who will head to Boston next weekend for action in the 2023 Head of the Charles Regatta.
Race Schedule
9:58 AM – Men's Collegiate LWT 4+ (1 LWT)
10:22 AM – Men's Collegiate Novice 8+ (1 HWT / 2 LWT)
10:32 AM – Women's Collegiate Novice 8+ (2 WMN)
12:30 PM – Men's Collegiate 8+ (5 HWT)
12:52 PM – Men's Collegiate LWT 8+ (3 LWT)
1:08 PM – Women's Collegiate 8+ (2 WMN)
