Heavies Ready to Row: All Three Eights Compete in Petite Finals at IRA Championships
CHERRY HILL, N.J. – The excitement is palpable as the University of Pennsylvania men’s heavyweight crew prepares for the Petite Finals this Sunday at the prestigious IRA National Championships. All three of Penn’s Eights are set to make their mark as they aim to enhance their standings: a Varsity Eight seeded ninth, a Second Varsity Eight in eighth, and a Third Varsity Eight at seventh.
A Competitive Saturday
The Quakers’ journey on Saturday saw them battling fiercely in their respective A/B semifinals, finishing in fifth place across the board. In the concluding race of the day, the Varsity Four narrowly missed a podium finish, claiming fourth place in its grand final—just shy of a medal.
Race Highlights
Varsity Eight A/B Semi-Final
During the Varsity Eight semifinal, Penn found itself in a tight race, vying for one of the coveted top-three positions. Midway through the race, they were firmly in contention but ultimately finished fifth:
- Washington: 5:24.800
- Dartmouth: 5:25.580
- Brown: 5:25.980
- Yale: 5:26.480
- Penn: 5:29.210
- Navy: 5:39.760
Penn was able to maintain a comfortable lead over Navy, finishing less than three seconds behind the Bulldogs.
Second Varsity Eight A/B Semi-Final
The Second Varsity Eight race showcased intense competition, with California leading the charge and sprinting to victory. The battle for second and third was especially close, with Syracuse edging out Brown and Princeton by mere hundredths of a second. Penn trailed behind Princeton by about four seconds:
- Cal: 5:33.880
- Syracuse: 5:36.390
- Brown: 5:36.400
- Princeton: 5:37.200
- Penn: 5:41.080
- BU: 5:42.230
Third Varsity Eight A/B Semi-Final
In what proved to be a challenging race for the Third Varsity Eight, Penn struggled to keep pace early on, falling nearly two seconds behind fourth place at the 500-meter mark. Despite valiant efforts, they finished fifth in a race won by Washington:
- Washington: 5:32.450
- Cal: 5:33.070
- Princeton: 5:35.810
- Brown: 5:35.970
- Penn: 5:52.410
- BU: 6:05.800
Varsity Four Grand Final
The day’s highlights culminated with the Varsity Four Grand Final. From the outset, Washington established a commanding lead, followed closely by California and Harvard. In a strong finish, Penn surpassed Syracuse in the last 500 meters to secure fourth place:
- Washington: 6:11.660
- Harvard: 6:13.890
- Cal: 6:17.470
- Penn: 6:21.830
- Syracuse: 6:23.520
- Brown: 6:29.120
What’s Next
The Quakers are gearing up for a decisive Sunday that promises thrilling races. Here’s the line-up:
- 9:30 a.m. – 3V8 Petite Final (Cornell | Penn | Dartmouth | Brown | Northeastern | BU)
- 11 a.m. – 2V8 Petite Final (BU | Stanford | Princeton | Northeastern | Penn | Dartmouth)
- 11:50 a.m. – 1V8 Petite Final (Navy | Stanford | Yale | Northeastern | Penn | Cal)
Follow the Action
Don’t miss any of the exhilarating moments! Watch Live on Overnght.com or check out the Live Results.
For the latest updates on the Penn men’s heavyweight rowing team, follow them on social media @PennHwtRowing on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, or visit PennAthletics.com.
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