ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The conclusion of the 2023 regular season lies ahead for the Navy lightweight rowing program this Saturday morning with an Eastern Sprints League showdown versus Penn. In what promises to be an extremely competitive matchup between the Mids (4-3) and Quakers (2-4), the two programs stand sixth and seventh respectively in this week's IRA Coaches Poll. No. 6 Navy and No. 7 Penn will be racing on the Severn River Saturday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. with the hopes of securing both the Callow Cup in the first varsity eight contest and the 1919 Team Points Trophy.
The three-race slate will consist of teams racing in 20-minute increments with the first head-to-head matchup scheduled for 7:30 a.m. and the next bout set for 7:50 a.m. The final Navy-Penn showdown is scheduled for 8:10 a.m. The official order of racing will go third varsity, second varsity and first varsity for the Callow Cup.
Most Recent Navy-Penn Matchup: April 30, 2022 in Philadelphia
The No. 3 Navy lightweight rowing team closed its 2022 regular season with an emphatic three-race sweep of No. 6 Penn on Saturday, April 30 in Philadelphia. Racing on a 2,000-meter stretch of the Schuylkill River, the Mids dominated the host Quakers in a three-for-three showing with a trio of victories by four or more seconds. Navy's success resulted in the Mids bringing the Callow Cup and the 1919 Team Points Trophy back to Hubbard Hall.
The Callow Cup was on the line between the Mids' and Quakers' first varsity eight crews. In control for most of the 2,000 meters, Navy cruised and recorded as 7.1-second margin of victory, 5:33.2 to 5:40.3 over Penn.
What's at Stake
Callow Cup
Put into rotation beginning in 1955, the trophy has been given to the winner of the varsity race between Navy and Penn every year except 1973, 2020 and 2021. The trophy is named after Russell "Rusty" Callow, who coached at both Penn and Navy and retired in 1959 after being associated with rowing for more than 50 years. All-time, Navy holds a 34-31 advantage.
1919 Trophy
Originally presented at the first-ever meeting between the Mids and Quakers, the trophy now serves as the team points prize for best combined results in the annual meet.
Last Time Out: April 22 at HarvardÂ
The No. 7 Harvard Crimson defended its home waters on Saturday as they knocked off No. 6 Navy during a three-race meet. The Mids came into the road Eastern Sprints League matchup with momentum and back-to-back wins, but fell victim to fast Crimson crew. While going against Harvard in the competition for the Haines and Paulovich Team Points Trophy, MIT and Delaware also raced as guests in the contest on the Charles River.
In the spotlight race of the morning with the Haines Trophy on the line, the first varsity crews from Harvard and Navy set the pace for the field. Pulling away from MIT and Delaware over the 2,000 meters, Harvard captured the Haines Trophy with a time of 5:38.6 that bested Navy by 3.2 seconds. The Mids' 5:41.8 time was well ahead of the Engineers' 5:57.1 and the Blue Hens' 6:16.6.
Race Schedule
7:30 AM - Third Varsity Eight
7:50 AM - Second Varsity Eight
8:10 AM - First Varsity Eight
Directions to Navy Boathouse and viewing on Navy's Lower Course
*you will need a photo ID to walk onto Navy campus*
These driving directions will take you to Gate 8 of the Naval Academy. Spectators and guests should park outside of the gate and make the short walk (0.25 miles) to the boathouse. Once at the boathouse, it is another short walk (0.33 miles) to the finish line of the Lower Course.
• Route 50 towards Annapolis
• Take Exit 24, Rowe Blvd, Annapolis
• After approx 1 mile, make a left onto Taylor Ave.
• After passing a 7-Eleven, make a right at the T-intersection.
• Turn right at the second traffic light and then make another immediate right into a parking area and park there. To get to the boathouse, you need to walk down the hill along the practice baseball field and to the guard shack. Show your photo ID to the guard and continue to walk down the hill. The boathouse is the first building that you will see on the right after the guard shack.
• From the boathouse, you can walk to the finish line of the Lower Course. After crossing the road near the boathouse towards the cemetery, take the road that takes you along the water's edge in the creek (Do not cross over bridge). Once you get to the hospital point fields, walk across field to the right corner of the seawall. The finish line is directly at that corner.
