Men’s Lightweights Finish Eighth at Crew Nationals
Men’s Lightweights Finish Eighth at Crew Nationals
On Saturday, June 7 the MIT men’s lightweight crew team finished eighth at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships.
Racing in record high temperatures in Camden, New Jersey, the team rowed against top competitors Cornell, Navy, Dartmouth, and Fordham, which took the top four places at the Championships.
In the Petite Final, the eighth-seeded Engineers finished 3.8 seconds behind winner Columbia over 2,000 meters. MIT had faced Columbia earlier in the season at the Geiger Cup and finished 3.3 seconds behind.
“We are developing the skills and horsepower to row with the best,” Head Coach Ted Benford said. “We have really come a long way and we learned a lot again today. I think next year’s varsity got a good look at where we need to be to succeed on the national stage.”
MIT last competed in the IRA National Championships in 2002, when the team finished 10th.
Heat 1
1. Cornell, 5:49.3
2. Navy, 5:51.6
3. Dartmouth, 5:52.2
4. Fordham, 6:02.1
5. MIT, 6:02.7
Petite Final
1. Columbia, 5:54.1
2. MIT, 5:57.8
3. Fordham, 6:01.8
—Rosa Cao