The Boston University men’s rowing team secured two first-place finishes and placed two boats into the Petite Finals during the second day of the IRA National Championship Regatta on May 30 at Lake Natoma in Gold River, California.
BU’s Varsity 8 and Third Varsity 8 advanced to the Petite Final after competing in their respective AB semifinals. The Second Varsity 8 won its CD semifinal to move into the C final, while BU’s Varsity 4 claimed a photo finish victory in the B final, placing seventh overall nationally among Varsity 4 crews.
Racing conditions featured calm waters, minimal wind, and clear skies as temperatures rose above 70 degrees. In their AB semifinal, BU’s Varsity 8—coxed by Emily Slawin and stroked by Alessandro Gardino—finished sixth with a time of 5:50.13 after an early push against Brown. The Third Varsity 8, coxed by Ben Brinckerhoff and stroked by Liam Feeney, overtook Stanford late in their race to finish fifth at 5:56.36 and earn a spot in the Petite Final.
The Second Varsity 8 crew—coxed by Luke Stroh and stroked by Griffith Coupland—built an early lead over Drexel in Lane 2 during their CD semifinal. Despite Drexel closing within half a length near the end of the race, BU maintained its advantage to win with a time of 5:56.71—the fastest among all crews in that round—and advanced to Sunday’s C final.
In Saturday’s concluding event for BU, the Varsity 4 boat—coxed by Hannah Noguchi and stroked by Mason Laundry—overcame Northeastern past halfway before holding off Syracuse’s late charge for a narrow win at 6:35.48. This result earned them seventh place nationally among Varsity 4 entries.
The regatta concludes Sunday with BU’s Second Varsity 8 racing in the C final at 9:22 a.m., followed by appearances from both Third Varsity and Varsity Eights in their respective Petite Finals.
