ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy lightweight rowing team closed out its regular season with a slate of four races on Saturday morning against Penn on the Severn River. In an Eastern Sprints League matchup between two of the nation's top-eight teams, the third-ranked Quakers knocked off the eighth-ranked Mids in three of those contests and retained both the Callow Cup and 1919 Trophy.
The racing on Navy's "Lower Course" began with the fourth varsity eight contest. The 4Vs from Navy and Penn were joined by the Mids' 5V and 6V as Navy's depth was showcased in front of its home fans that lined the seawall along Hospital Point. The Mids' 4V was the class of the field and rolled to a 10.4-second margin of victory over their brethren in the 5V, 6:32.6 to 6:43.0. Penn's 4V found itself in a tight battle with Navy's 6V as the Quakers held off the Mids at the finish line by one second, 6:51.1 to 6:52.1.
The action moved to the top of the lineup with the first varsity eights going head-to-head with the Callow Cup on the line. Close throughout the first half of the race, the Quakers moved down the Mids' boat and pulled away to open water during the stretch run to grab a 6.3-second victory, 6:03.0 to 6:09.3.
The ensuing second varsity eight race was slightly more straight forward as Penn advanced down the course and cruised across the finish line with a victorious time of 6:13.6, while Navy clocked in at 6:26.2.
The final race on Saturday morning was the most competitive of the quartet of contests between the Mids and Quakers. The action was tight at each of the respective 500-meter check points, and as the teams closed in on the finish line at the corner of Hospital Point, Penn had just enough of a lead to edge Navy by 2.5 seconds, 6:18.1 to 6:20.6.
"You always want to be in the fight, and I thought for three of our four races we were certainly competing at the necessary level," remarked head coach
Shawn Bagnall. "It was a good step forward for our 1st Varsity after a solid week of work, and our 4th Varsity put together a really nice race. Our 2V still is finding its way, but there is no doubt those men will achieve a higher level of competitiveness by the Eastern Sprints. With finals coming up, the team is determined to find success both in the classroom and in the remaining training sessions we have before the Sprints.
"Thank you to all the alumni, parents, and supporters that made it out to watch the racing. A special thanks to the 1974-1978 Lightweight Men's Rowing alumni that came back to Hubbard Hall, as well as all those that helped to make it a special final home race for our Commissioning 1/C Midshipmen."
The Mids will step away from competition for the next three weeks to focus on final exams and preparation for the postseason. First up on Navy's postseason schedule is a date at the Eastern Sprints Championship on Sunday, May 18 in Worcester, Mass.
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Race Results
First Varsity Eight
Penn – 6:03.0
Navy – 6:09.3
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Second Varsity Eight
Penn – 6:13.6
Navy – 6:26.2
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Third Varsity Eight
Penn – 6:18.1
Navy – 6:20.6
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Fourth Varsity Eight
Navy 4V – 6:32.6
Navy 5V – 6:43.0
Penn 4V – 6:51.1
Navy 6V – 6:52.1
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Boat Lineups
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