WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - The Gonzaga University men's rowing Junior Varsity 8+ put together back-to-back strong races on the first day of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship Regatta, held on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.
The Bulldogs, whose Varsity 8+ boat also raced Friday, are partaking in the national championship for the sixth time in seven years.
"Overall it was a good day," explained Gonzaga head coach Dan Gehn of his team's performance after the opening day of the regatta.
The Zag Junior Varsity 8+ began the day placing sixth in their heat race with a respectable time of 6:00.82 and went on to claim third in their repechage race with an impressive finish of 5:53.282. Their second time of the day was the fastest finish of any Gonzaga boat Friday.
"The Junior Varsity raced both the heat and the rep like they had nothing to lose," stated Gonzaga assistant coach Mark Voorhees, who coaches the Junior Varsity boat. "Their goal is to always make their next race the best piece of the year and they were able to do that twice today. They're racing well, having fun, and excited to go have their best race of the year in the semifinal tomorrow."
The Bulldogs' Junior Varsity 8+ semifinal race is set for Saturday at 9:30 a.m. PT. They will race Holy Cross, Drexel, Harvard, George Washington and FIT.
The Zag Varsity 8+ boat got off to a tough start Friday in their heat race but rebounded with a strong performance in the repechage.
"The only hitch we had today was the Varsity 8+ heat this morning," stated Gehn. "They had a good first 1,000-meters but got rattled as the field pressed. With a young crew it's hard to recover after you fall of the pace."
The Varsity 8+ went on to best their morning heat race time by 20 seconds to earn fourth in the repechage at 5:55.795.
"The Varsity 8+ raced well in the afternoon, battling even with Drexel to the halfway point," explained Gehn. "We were still overlapped at the last 500-meters but got out sprinted to the line."
The Varsity 8+ will now race in the fourth semifinal Saturday at 9 a.m. PT. The race also features Syracuse, George Washington, FIT, Hobart and San Diego.
IRA National Championship Regatta - Day 1 Results - Friday, May 30, 2014
Lake Mercer at Richard Coffee County Park - West Windsor, N.J.
Varsity 8+ Heat 3
1. California, 5:40.679
2. Boston, 5:43.945
3. Wisconsin, 5:49.261
4. Oregon State, 5:51.224
5. Syracuse, 5:53.239
6. Gonzaga, 6:15.968
Varsity 8+ Repechage 4
1. Navy, 5:41.757
2. George Washington, 5:44.620
3. Drexel, 5:51.025
4. Gonzaga, 5:55.795
Junior Varsity 8+ Heat 4
1. Washington, 5:43.857
2. Cornell, 5:48.211
3. Stanford, 5:52.661
4. Pennsylvania, 5:52.681
5. Harvard, 5:56.651
6. Gonzaga, 6:00.802
Junior Varsity 8+ Repechage 1
1. Oregon State, 5:48.995
2. Dartmouth, 5:551.736
3. Gonzaga, 5:53.282
4. Hobart, 5:57.622
IRA National Championship Regatta - Day 2 Schedule - Saturday, May 31, 2014
Varsity 8+ Semifinal 4 (9 a.m. PT)
1. Gonzaga
2. Syracuse
3. George Washington
4. FIT
5. Hobart
6. San Diego
Junior Varsity 8+ Semifinal 4 (9:30 a.m. PT)
1. Holy Cross
2. Gonzaga
3. Drexel
4. Harvard
5. George Washington
6. FIT
