ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The No. 12 Navy heavyweight rowing team (0-1) will continue its early-season action on Sunday with a day full of racing at the 2024 Occoquan Collegiate Invitational. The day is scheduled to consist of heat racing in the morning before all of the teams return to the Occoquan Reservoir for afternoon finals. The Mids' set of morning races run from 10:30 a.m. through 11:50 a.m. before coming back for the finals starting at 1:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

The full schedule for Navy will see the Mids go one-on-one with Jacksonville in first and second varsity eight races at 10:30 a.m. and 11:10 a.m., respectively before its third varsity takes on Jacksonville and Holy Cross in a three-team bout at 11:30 a.m. Navy's final three boats are slated to compete in a pair of late morning matchups at 11:40 a.m. (4V and 6V versus Holy Cross 4V and Drexel 5V) and 11:50 a.m. (5V versus Drexel 4V, Georgetown 4V and Hobart 4V).

That morning V8 and 2V8 schedule will be mirrored with three other matchups (Drexel/Marietta, Georgetown/St. Joe's and Gonzaga/Holy Cross/Hobart). The afternoon session will consist of the four individual race winners in each of the V8 and 2V8 classifications taking part in a grand final, while the five runner-ups will race in a petite final. The progression to the finals for the smaller 3V8 field will be the top-two finishers from the 11:30 a.m. Navy/Jacksonville/Holy Cross race advancing to take on the top-two finishers of the Drexel/Georgetown/Hobart contest. The afternoon races begin with the petite final of the first varsity eight at 1:30 p.m. followed by the grand final at 1:40 p.m. All of the finals will go off in 10-minute increments.

Sunday's Field
Nine teams are entered in Sunday's competition, five of whom are ranked in the top-25 with another two programs receiving votes in the most recent IRCA/IRA coaches poll ...
No. 19 Drexel, No. 17 Georgetown, No. 25 Gonzaga, R/V Hobart, No. 22 Holy Cross, R/V Jacksonville, Marietta, No. 12 Navy and Saint Joseph's

Most Recent Occoquan Invitational - April 9, 2023
The Navy heavyweight rowing team collected seven victories over an eight-race slate of competitions on Sunday at the 2023 Occoquan Collegiate Invitational. An all-day event at the Occoquan Reservoir at the Sandy Run Regional Park showcased the Mids' strength with head-to-head duels in the morning before later coming back in the afternoon and racing in multi-team finals.

Each of Navy's first, second, third, fourth and fifth varsity eight crews were in action twice on a 2,000-meter stretch of the Occoquan on Sunday. The first and second varsities competed in and won individual contests versus Saint Joseph's before advancing to the A Finals of both classifications. The third, fourth and fifth crews had predetermined matchups in both the morning and afternoon sessions. In those afternoon matchups, the Mids crossed the finish line first in the 2V8, 3V8 and 4V8 contests.
 
Last Time Out - April 6 vs. Princeton
Navy kicked off its 2024 campaign on Saturday morning with a stiff test against Princeton and Mother Nature. Taking on the Tigers (4-0), nation's second-ranked team, the Mids (0-1) were in for even more of a challenge as a heavy crosswind with considerable whitecaps played a significant factor in Saturday's action on the Severn River. At the conclusion of the five-race slate that was eventually shortened to four due to the conditions of the water, Princeton ended up crossing the finish line first in all four races, including the first varsity eight to retain the Navy-Princeton Cup.

The Navy-Princeton Cup was up for grabs right off the bat as the first varsity eight contest led off Saturday's racing. Competitive throughout, the Tigers broke out to a four-seat lead by the quarter mark and cleared the Mids by the halfway point of the 2,000-meter course. Down, but not out, Navy finished with pace and came in 6.1 seconds shy of Princeton's winning time of 5:44.1 as the Mids posted a 5:50.2 result.

Race Schedule
10:30 AM - First Varsity Eight vs. Jacksonville
11:10 AM - Second Varsity Eight vs. Jacksonville
11:30 AM - Third Varsity Eight vs. Jacksonville and Holy Cross
11:40 AM - Fourth/Fifth Varsity Eight vs. Holy Cross 4V, Drexel 5V and Navy 6V
11:50 AM - Fourth/Fifth Varsity Eight vs. Drexel 4V, Georgetown 4V and Hobart 4V

Afternoon Finals
1:30/1:40 PM - First Varsity Eight Finals
1:50/2:00 PM - Second Varsity Eight Finals
2:10/2:20 PM - Third Varsity Eight Finals
2:30 PM - Fourth Varsity Eight vs. Drexel, Georgetown, Hobart and Holy Cross (all 4V)
2:40 PM - Fifth Varsity Eight vs. Drexel and Navy 6V