BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Coming off a weekend of fast and challenging racing at the 2023 Lake Wheeler Invitational, Navy's first varsity eight crew was announced on Wednesday as the Patriot League Boat of the Week.

Taking on a talented 18-team field in Raleigh, N.C., Navy went up against four ranked teams and four more that were receiving votes in last week's top-20 national coaches poll. After three sessions of action, the Mids' first varsity eight crew came away with two top-three results, as well as one fourth-place outcome racing in six-team heats. In Friday's morning session versus #8 Penn, #19 Iowa, Miami, UCF and Kansas, Navy settled into the middle of the pack as the field separated over the course of the 2,000-meter piece. The Mids were slightly over four seconds back of the Hurricanes in fourth place at 6:32.157. In the afternoon V8 contest, Navy moved one spot up the leaderboard and challenged Miami for second place towards the end. At the conclusion of the race, Duke came in first at 6:49.395 to outpace Miami's 6:53.587. Navy was 3.54 seconds back with a 6:57.127 mark. In their third and final race of the weekend, Navy's V8 turned in a fast and spirited 2,000-meter piece in heat number one on Saturday morning. Part of a three-boat breakaway at the front of the six-team field, the Mids finished in the middle of the SEC pairing of R/V Alabama and R/V Tennessee. The Crimson Tide earned the heat's victory with a time of 6:44.600, while the Mids held off the Volunteers, 6:47.070 to 6:48.880.

Navy's V8 lineup over the weekend consisted of seniors Sofia Ferguson and Irene Norman, juniors Dani Baldwin, Lauren Day, Anna Freihofer and Brienna Voss and sophomores Noelle de Vente and Tenlea Radack. Junior Maeve Swick served as the crew's coxswain.

The Mids conclude their 2023 regular season this Saturday with racing at the 2023 UVA Invite in Earlysville, Virginia.