ANNAPOLIS, Md. - All of the long hours training and preparing for the 2026 championship season will come to a head for the Navy lightweight rowing program on Saturday with the squad's season-opening competition versus the Princeton Tigers. Long-time rivals in the Eastern Sprints League, the Mids and Tigers will face off in a series of four races that will be held on a 2,000-meter stretch of the Severn River on Saturday morning. The competition will begin at 7:45 a.m. and culminate at 8:45 a.m. with the first varsity eights battling for the right to take home the Murtaugh Cup.

The entire schedule of racing on Saturday consists of the fourth/fifth varsity eight contest leading off at 7:45 a.m. before 20 minutes later the third varsities go head-to-head. At 8:25 a.m., its time for the second varsity eight crews to showcase their speed before the race of the Murtaugh Cup goes off at 8:45 a.m. to conclude the slate.

Who's Back ... Class of 2026 | IRA Returners
Navy will be led by eight members of the Class of 2026. Multi-year members of the first varsity eight crew Nani Veluchamy and team captain Paddy McNamara lead the way with a plethora of trophy racing experience. Fellow seniors Frank Keusenkothen and coxswain Devin Ratte also bring back important veteran skills as both competed at the 2025 IRA National Championships, Keusenkothen in the bow seat of the Mids' V8 boat, while Ratte guided Navy's V4 crew. The Class of '26 gains additional leadership and experience from fellow seniors Chris Binney, Tanner Hamilton, Nihko Johnson-Newman and Thomas Kelly.

12 more Mids return from the team's IRA lineups from last season: juniors Chirag Chandnani (2V8), Noah Ferguson (2V8), Max Gomez (V4), Ryan Kennedy (V4), George Liu (V4), Decker Moy-Jacobs (V8), Christian Ramos (2V8) and Sam Rembold (2V8), and sophomores John Michael Blake (2V8), Alexander Kaiser (2V8), Emmett Sullivan (2V8) and Graham Young (2V8).

Most Recent Navy-Princeton Matchup: March 22, 2025 at Lake Carnegie
The Navy lightweight rowing team got its 2025 season going with a four-race slate of competition on the road at Princeton on Saturday, March 22. Taking on an Eastern Sprints League rival on the Tigers' home course of Lake Carnegie, the Mids went 2-2 on the day with their third and fourth varsity eight crews earning victories. In the first varsity eight race for the Murtaugh Cup, Princeton (1-0) secured its third straight trophy win over Navy (0-1) with a 3.3-second margin of victory in the culminating event of the competition.

Getting on the water in reverse order, the fourth varsity crews raced first on Saturday. Working on its speed throughout the offseason, Navy's fourth varsity boat shot out of the starting blocks with a dominant opening sprint as the Mids were nearly a half boat ahead of the Tigers over the initial 250 meters of the 2,000-meter race. Navy's pace continued to advance up the course and broke out to an open-water lead over Princeton in short order and were up by over two boat lengths by the mid-way mark. They cruised to a 19.2-second victory, 5:57.0 to 6:16.2 over the Tigers. In the ensuing race, Navy's third varsity eight trailed early, but made up seats in short order before overtaking Princeton by the mid-way mark and pulling away down the stretch for a 3.8-second margin of victory, 5:49.1 to 5:52.9.

With the Murtaugh Cup on the line in the final race of the series, Princeton used a stout initial sprint by its first varsity crew and broke out to a three-seat lead by the 500-meter juncture. The Tigers slowly put distance between themselves and the Mids and jutted out to a half-boat lead by the mid-way point. At the conclusion of 2,000 meters of competitive racing, the Tigers held on for the 5:37.5 to 5:40.8 victory to retain the Murtaugh Cup.

Murtaugh Cup History
Named after the former Princeton and U.S. lightweight rowing coach Joseph Murtaugh, the trophy has been on the line between the Mids and Tigers since 2008. After Navy won the initial competition in 2008, Princeton countered with eight straight victories in the first varsity eight race until the Mids climbed back on top in 2017. All-time, Princeton leads the Murtaugh Cup series, 13-3.

Race Schedule
7:45 AM - Fourth Varsity Eight (w/Navy 5V)   
8:05 AM - Third Varsity Eight
8:25 AM - Second Varsity Eight
8:45 AM – First Varsity Eight (Murtaugh Cup)
 
Spectator/Viewing Information (NEW GUIDANCE: March 1 -- LINK)
As a result of current world events, Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA) and the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) are increasing Force Protection measures. The following restrictions to USNA access are effective immediately, unless otherwise noted, and will remain in effect until further notice:

Gate 1 and the Visitor Control Center (VCC) will close. Gate 8 and the turnstiles will remain open.

General public visitation is suspended beginning 1330 today, Saturday, February 28, 2026.

There will be 100% ID checks. Only those with DoW- or DBIDS-issued ID cards will be permitted to walk or drive through Gate 8.

Visitation related to Naval Academy–sponsored events is still permitted. Those with DoW or DBIDS ID cards will be allowed to walk or drive onto the Naval Academy. All other visitors with tickets or attending events must ride the shuttle bus from the Press Box side of Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and are required to present a Real ID. Expect increased security screening before boarding the shuttle.
In alignment with NORTHCOM direction, the following additional access restrictions to NSAA / USNA are in effect immediately, and will remain in effect until further notice:

• Trusted Traveler (the ability of a credentialed individual with base access to escort a non-credentialed individual) is immediately suspended.  Example: Lou (CAC holder) wants to drive onboard USNA with his brother Bruce. Bruce has a Real ID drivers license, but does not have a CAC card/DBIDS/Military ID; therefore, Lou cannot drive onto the Yard with Bruce in his car. Bruce cannot come onboard, even though he's a grad.

• Greenbury Point is closed until further notice. The closure applies to access to the fenced East & West access roads, as well as the established trails and the Nature Center. It does NOT apply to guests staying at the Cottages.

Expect & anticipate delays at Gate 8, along with increased security presence.

Due to these additional restrictions for access to the Yard, spectators will be able to watch the racing from the Rt-450/Academy Bridge. (Of note, the Annapolis Running Festival will be hosting races throughout the morning on March 21 from 7:00-10:30 AM with the potential to impact the Academy Bridge)