RALEIGH, N.C. – The Navy women's rowing team continued its fine-tuning for next month's Patriot League Championship with two sessions of racing at the Lake Wheeler Invite on Friday. Taking on a deep and talented field of national programs, the Mids competed in five different classifications during contests in the morning and again later in the afternoon in Raleigh.
Navy's first and second varsity eight and first varsity four crews raced in six-team heats against R/V Iowa, R/V UCF, Clemson, Louisville and North Carolina in the morning and No. 16 Duke, R/V UCF, Georgetown, Louisville and Washington State in the afternoon. The 2V4 and 3V8 contests had similar, but slightly adjusted fields depending on the race and session.
The Mids' first varsity eight crew was competitive in the mid-pack of both of their races on Friday. In its initial session, Navy found itself in a one-on-one battle with Louisville down the stretch of the 2,000-meter piece. At the line, the Cardinals held off the Mids, 6:56.079 to 6:58.814 as Navy crossed in fifth place; UNC was sixth at 7:01.234. UCF won the heat with a time of 6:47.931. Five hours later, Navy and Louisville returned with even closer stroke-for-stroke racing in a sprint for fourth place once again. The Cardinals made it two-for-two on Friday surviving Midshipmen efforts as they clocked in just 0.474 seconds ahead, 7:10.393 to 7:10.867. Georgetown finished sixth at 7:20.377. Washington State pulled off an upset of the 16th-ranked Duke crew for the heat victory, 6:53.353 to 6:56.271.
Navy's second varsity eight turned a pair of fifth-place results in its two races. The Mids were in the mix late into their first session competition as second through fifth place were separated by only 4.222 seconds. After UCF finished the race first at 7:02.455, Iowa and Louisville came in close together at 7:07.153 and 7:07.338, respectively. Clemson edged Navy in the fight for fourth place, 7:09.707 to 7:11.375. UNC rounded out the six-team field at 7:15.944. The second race of the day for the 2V8 was a little more spaced out as each of the first four boats all posted at least five-second margins ahead of the team behind them. Navy clocked in fifth with a time of 7:29.802 to best Georgetown's 7:32.512. Duke won with a 7:05.350 result.
A similar storyline occurred in the two races for the first varsity four crew. The morning contest was close in the mid-pack as third through fifth place were decided by 7.922 seconds as Iowa posted a 8:02.034 time to cross in front of fourth-place UNC and fifth-place Navy, who clocked in at 8:05.274 and 8:09.956, respectively. Louisville was well off the pace in sixth at 8:40.519; UCF was the victorious crew at 7:51.371. In the afternoon, first, second and third place were all separated by over seven seconds per position. The most action came in the race for third place between Washington State and Navy. The Cougars kept the Mids behind them down the stretch to come in 3.262 seconds faster, 7:54.915 to 7:58.177. Navy was quicker than both Georgetown (8:10.637) and Louisville (8:24.223) in this particular heat. Duke won the V4 contest at 7:38.665.
The second varsity four crew continued the trend of Navy passing at least one crew over the course of the 2,000-meter piece. The Mids posted comparable times in both contests as they finished fourth of five boats in the first session with a time of 8:19.923 and fourth of five in session number two with a time of 8:22.022. In Navy's initial race it came within 3.648 seconds of third-place UNC, who clocked in at 8:16.275. Clemson finished fifth in the morning 2V4 contest with an 8:27.036 time. In the afternoon, the Mids' closest competition was for fourth place as they held off the Cougars of Washington State by 2.752 seconds as the Pac-12 crew posted an 8:24.774 effort.
Navy's third varsity eight crew was successful in both of its races as the Mids came in fifth of six boats in their first contest, though they challenged the UNC Tar Heels for fourth place, but the hosts held on with a 1.246 margin, 7:37.930 to 7:39.176. Later on in the day, Navy's 3V8 turned in the best overall placement of the 10 combined races for the program on Friday as the Mids clocked in second in a field of five boats with a time of 7:41.656. While Duke secured the victory at 7:16.390, Navy bested Georgetown's 7:43.790 by 2.134 seconds, as well as Louisville's 7:48.196 and UNC's 7:52.372.
Navy will be back in action on Saturday morning with the third and final session of racing at the Lake Wheeler Invitational. The Mids will first hit the waters of Lake Wheeler beginning at 9 a.m. with their third varsity eight crew.
Race Results
First Varsity Eight
Session 1: Heat 2
UCF – 6:47.931
Iowa – 6:51.291
Clemson – 6:51.591
Louisville – 6:56.079
Navy – 6:58.814
North Carolina – 7:01.234
Session 2: Heat 3
Washington State – 6:53.353
Duke – 6:56.271
UCF – 7:03.441
Louisville – 7:10.393
Navy – 7:10.867
Georgetown – 7:20.377
Second Varsity Eight
Session 1: Heat 2
UCF – 7:02.455
Iowa – 7:07.153
Louisville – 7:07.338
Clemson – 7:09.707
Navy – 7:11.375
North Carolina – 7:15.944
Session 2: Heat 3
Duke – 7:05.350
UCF – 7:10.918
Washington State – 7:17.866
Louisville – 7:23.554
Navy – 7:29.802
Georgetown – 7:32.512
First Varsity Four
Session 1: Heat 2
UCF – 7:51.371
Clemson – 7:57.417
Iowa – 8:02.034
North Carolina – 8:05.274
Navy – 8:09.956
Louisville – 8:40.519
Session 2: Heat 3
Duke – 7:38.665
UCF – 7:45.965
Washington State – 7:54.915
Navy – 7:58.177
Georgetown – 8:10.637
Louisville – 8:24.223
Second Varsity Four
Session 1: Heat 2
Iowa – 8:01.829
UCF – 8:08.553
North Carolina – 8:16.275
Navy – 8:19.923
Clemson – 8:27.036
Session 2: Heat 3
Duke – 7:55.302
UCF – 8:04.834
Georgetown – 8:15.648
Navy – 8:22.022
Washington State – 8:24.774
Third Varsity Eight
Session 1: Heat 2
Duke 4V – 7:22.376
Clemson – 7:31.606
Iowa – 7:33.182
North Carolina – 7:37.930
Navy – 7:39.176
Louisville – 7:57.838
Session 2: Heat 3
Duke 3V – 7:16.390
Navy – 7:41.656
Georgetown – 7:43.790
Louisville – 7:48.196
North Carolina – 7:52.372
Boat Lineups
