ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The No. 3 Navy lightweight rowing team will take part in its first home competition this spring with a WIT Cup matchup against No. 7 Columbia on the Severn River on Saturday morning. Set for a three-race slate versus the Lions (0-2), the Mids (0-2) will be looking to get into the win column after two intense, tight matchups to begin its 2023 campaign against teams currently ranked first and second in the national coaches poll, Princeton and Yale. The action on the Severn starts at 7:40 a.m. and runs through approximately 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Navy and Columbia are scheduled to race in reverse order as the third varsity eight contest kicks off the day at 7:40 a.m. The Mids' fourth varsity eight will also be competing in this race as a guest crew. 20 minutes later at 8:00 a.m., the second varsity crews will go head-to-head down the Severn before the WIT Cup takes center stage as the first varsity eight crews will do battle to take home the hardware at 8:20 a.m.
Most Recent Navy-Columbia Matchup: April 9, 2022
The No. 2 Navy lightweight rowing team had a standout day of competition on Saturday, April 9 with a clean sweep versus No. 7 Columbia at Overpeck Park in Northern New Jersey. Taking on the Lions in a series of four races in the morning, the Mids collected four wins with each victory coming by two or more seconds. With the Whatever-It-Takes (WIT) Cup on the line for the victor of the first varsity eight competition, Navy withstood Columbia's best efforts and held on for a 3.534-second margin of victory, 5:41.646 to 5:45.180.
What's at Stake
WIT Cup (Whatever It Takes)
The WIT Cup was put into rotation by Columbia's Class of '98 and was originally awarded to the winner of the varsity eight race featuring Columbia, Navy and Rutgers. The trophy had been out of commission since 2006 when the Scarlet Knights disbanded its lightweight rowing program, but was revived in 2014 with Columbia earning initial possession of it for three consecutive years before Navy got into in the win column in 2017 at home on the Severn River. Since it was put back into rotation, the Lions lead 5-2.
Last Time Out - April 2 vs. Yale
The fans at Lake Carnegie last Saturday afternoon were treated to an exciting five-race competition between two top-five lightweight crew teams that battled for the Jope Cup last year at the Eastern Sprints. At the conclusion of the rowing action, No. 3 Yale held off No. 5 Navy by a final 4-1 margin, though three of those victories were decided by three or less seconds, including just a 0.5-second decision in the first varsity race.
With the Eads Johnson Cup on the line for the victor of the first varsity eight race both teams jostled over a few-seat advantage for the entirety of the contest. During the last sprint to the finish line, Yale overtook Navy's push and crossed just 0.5 seconds ahead with a 5:35.5 time versus a 5:36.0 mark for the Mids.
Race Schedule
7:40 AM - Third Varsity Eight w/Navy 4V
8:00 AM - Second Varsity Eight
8:20 AM - First Varsity Eight (WIT Cup)
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.
