BOSTON – The Wisconsin men's rowing team opened the 2017-18 competitive season with the 53rd annual Head of the Charles regatta on the Charles River on Sunday.

The Head of the Charles attracts around 11,000 competitors and tens of thousands of spectators each year.

The Badgers' championship eight entry placed 15th among 26 entries, while the championship four cross the three-mile finish line in 18th of 19 crews, thanks in large part to a minute penalty

"A little misadventure in the four," head coach Chris Clark said. "We were on pace to take eighth, but a little coxswaining-overtaking clash and we got a minute penalty.

A boat from the United States Training Center in Princeton won the four in 15:07.442, while California was second in 15:16.172 and Boston University third in 15:23.217. The Badgers ended with a time of 17:25.244 with the minute penalty.

California capture the championship eight crown in a time of 13:27.469, with Sudbury second in 13:30.153 and Yale third in 13:30.510. The Badgers' time of 14:03.542 was good for 15th.

"In the eight, we haven't had any boat speed really the last few years," Clark stated. "You have to have boat speed to even compete at all.

"The plan was to go as hard as we could the first mile or so. It paid off and we knew that it would probably cost us at the end, just rowing above pace.

At the first mark, near 1200 meters, UW's strategy had them two seconds behind eventual winner California and was the fifth-fastest time to the check point, ahead of crews from Washington, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Northeastern and Boston University, among others.

"Pure boat speed," Clark said. "Last year we were 47 seconds back and this year we were 36 seconds back. It was just a much more tight field. An excellent start against all these international crews. Real good as far as I am concerned.

"The guys were a little disappointed on how much we lost on from the last mark. It is only 700 or 800 meters, we lost 13 seconds off the leader.  It was a combination of a wide swing by the coxswain and just not keeping the composure together the way they needed to.

"A good start though. Definitely have a lot more boat speed and it comes easy to them, the problem is we have to finish. We have a long time to work on that."

The Badgers will make a return trip out east next weekend for the Princeton Chase, competing Sunday in Princeton, New Jersey.

Head of the Charles
Oct. 22, 2017
Boston
Charles River
3 miles

Men's Championship Eight (26 entries)
1. California, 13:27.469; 2. Sudbury, 13:30.153; 3. Yale, 13:30.510; 4. Harvard, 13:34.693; 5. Northeastern, 13:41.305; 6. NTC, 13:42.053; 7. Washington, 13:43.932; 8. Princeton, 13:44.578; 9. Brown, 13:48.434; 10. Dartmouth, 13:56.202; 11. Boston University, 13:58.622; 12. Cornell, 13:59.716; 13. Northeastern, 14:01.380; 14. Syracuse, 14:02.738; 15. Wisconsin, 14:03.542; 16. Harvard, 14:07.063

UW Lineup - Coxswain Theodore Van Beek, Tristan Amberger, Nickolas Montalvo, Andrew Griffin, Jonah Van der Weide, Kyle McCarthy, James Bernard, Andrew Flannery, Thomas Walker

Men's Championship Four (19 entries)
1. U.S. Training Center – Princeton, 15:07.442; 2. California, 15:16.172; 3. Boston University, 15:23.217; 4. Oregon State, 15:38.786; 5. George Washington, 15:39.378; 6. Northeastern, 15:48.110; 7. Union, 16:05.994; 8. Leander, 16:08.667; 9. Princeton, 16:11.995; 10. RowLA, 16:12.799; 11. Favorite, 16:20.31; 12. Harvard, 16:21.238; 13. De Hoop, 16:25.336; 14. Stanford, 16:29.696; 15. New York AC, 16:31.598; 16. Georgetown, 16:54.659; 17. Motley, 17:17.313; 18. Wisconsin, 17:25.244; 19. Cortlandt Community Rowing, 20:08.678

UW Lineup - Coxswain Arthur Condor, Jacob Wenner, Timothy Glennon, Evan Miller, Erik Kernozek