The Boston University lightweight rowing team achieved two victories against Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s openweight crews on April 4 during their second home dual race of the spring season on the Charles River.
The event saw both teams contend with strong gusts, which reached up to 17 miles per hour, and shifting weather conditions. Despite the challenging environment, both crews benefited from a tailwind as their races began.
Boston University and MIT each entered two fours in the competition, with Harvard-Radcliffe also joining for that segment. The Terrier Second Varsity Four, led by coxswain Maria Cummins-Astor and stroked by Emilia Vukasinovic, won decisively with a time of 7:46.970. In the Varsity Four race, coxed by Mira Saldanha and stroked by Sidra Sanders, Boston University finished second at 7:56.533—over eleven seconds ahead of MIT’s top four.
In another close contest, Boston University’s Varsity Eight crew—coxswained by Amna Rezvi and stroked by Caroline Burchette—managed to pull ahead in the final stretch to finish first in 6:30.990. MIT followed closely behind at 6:32.583. The Second Varsity Eight event featured a tight finish as water conditions worsened; MIT edged out BU with a time of 6:54.803 compared to BU’s 6:55.422—a difference of just .619 seconds.
Boston University is now preparing for its next challenge at the annual Knecht Cup scheduled for April 11-12 on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
