PHILADELPHIA – The Navy lightweight crew program began its fall schedule with competition at the 2024 Navy Day Regatta. The Mids' freshmen class took center stage as they were entered into two classifications of racing on Sunday, the freshmen/novice eights event and later the collegiate eights. The regatta consisted of 4,000-meter head-style timed pieces down the Schuylkill River.

At the conclusion of the competition, Navy's top boats placed second in the freshmen/novice eights race and 18th in its second showing that was against varsity crews from both the heavyweight and lightweight ranks in the collegiate eights race.

The freshmen/novice eights contest was the first of the day on Sunday for Navy. With two entries in the six-team field, the Mids finished back-to-back in second and third place with respective times of 13:47.690 and 14:38.800. Drexel's top crew clocked in first with a victorious 13:31.720 effort.

A little over two hours later, Navy trotted out its two crews of plebes in the main event of the regatta for college competitors, the men's collegiate eights. Two of the 26 boats racing down the Schuylkill, Navy's 'A' crew posted a time of 14:10.150 that ranked 18th overall, while it's 'B' crew finished the 4,000-meter piece in 24th at 15:12.600.

Navy will take a few weeks off from fall racing before suiting up for action at the Princeton Chase on Sunday, Nov. 3.
 
Race Results

Men's Collegiate Freshmen/Novice Eights (6 crews in field)
1) Drexel – 13:31.720
2) Navy 'A' – 13:47.690
3) Navy 'B' – 14:38.800
4) Delaware 'A' – 15:21.980
5) Delaware 'B' – 16:35.770

Men's Collegiate Eights (26 crews in field)
1) Penn – 12:35.670
2) Penn – 12:50.110
3) Georgetown 'C' – 12:50.180
17) Drexel 'C' – 14:00.340
18) Navy 'A' – 14:10.150
19) Delaware 'B' – 14:10.950
24) Navy 'B' – 15:12.600