WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – Wisconsin men's rowing ended up with three boats headed to third-level finals after day two of the 2023 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships Saturday on Mercer Lake.
Both the first and second varsity eight boats did what they needed to do on Saturday by finishing among the top three in their C/D semifinals and advancing to Sunday's C finals for places 13-18.
The varsity eight boat came in second, falling by about a boat length to Boston University. The second varsity eight boat won it's semifinal, beating out Navy by about a second.
Yesterday's lightning canceled the third varsity eight repechage and the varsity four semifinals, so both events advanced with boats assigned to finals based on Friday morning racing.
That means the third varsity eight will race in Sunday's C final for places 13-18, while the varsity four competed in Friday's fifth-level final, where it placed sixth in the seven-boat race.
Straight from the Lake
Head Coach Chris Clark
"No one sets out to aim for the C/D semi finals, where finals are determined for 13-24th place, but when you are there you need to perform.
"In the 1V, we led most of it over Boston University, but they got us in the end. We probably paid too high a price in the first 500, but I understand it. We were slow in that area yesterday and it cost us so the guys were taking no chances. We've already raced BU four times this year and each of us have won two so tomorrow we'll let it all hang out.
"For the 2v, they led from wire-to-wire. They only perform when there is no pretense about rowing 'smoothly', just hard. We have two guys in there who started rowing in September,
Andrew Soman, and Eli Strassman. This regatta, all the way down to the fours, is populated by international rowers so it's entirely likely those two may be the only straight up nine-month rowers in the entire field. We expect big things from these kids next year.
"In our four, we finished in penultimate position in the 5th final. For those that don't know rowing, that was a slow boat that also raced poorly. The young guys in that boat will need to seriously step it up in the summer to become better racers and competitors. We also reinforce that once racing is over, leave it at the course. No one has ever competed great every time so just learn from it and move to the next challenge."
2023 IRA National Championships
June 3, 2022
Mercer Lake
West Windsor, N.J.
2000 meters
Varsity Eight
C/D Semifinal (Top three to upper final, remainder to lower final)
1. Boston, 6:21.785;
2. Wisconsin, 6:24.145; 3. La Salle, 6:30.733; 4. UC San Diego; 6:37.305; 5. Santa Clara, 6:43.775; 6. MIT, 6:44.137
UW Lineup – Coxswain
Jonah Rane,
Aidan Schmidt,
Will Klipstine,
Dylan Green,
Breck Duncan,
Joseph Cleary,
Michael Horan,
Sebastian Murrell,
Garrison Waugh
Second Varsity Eight
C/D Semifinal (Top three to upper final, remainder to lower final)
1. Wisconsin, 6:25.646; 2. Navy, 6:26.620; 3. La Salle, 6:35.580; 4. Oregon State, 6:35.580; 5. Columbia, 6:42.010
UW Lineup - Coxswain
Grayson VanLue,
Elias Strasman,
Olin Frederiks,
Luke Truog,
Lucas Farmer,
Walter Stanwood,
Andrew Soman,
Matthew King,
Josh Wehking
Varsity Four
Final 5
1. Coast Guard, 7:34.284; 2. Marietta, 7:36.350; 3. Georgetown, 7:41.102; 4. Williams, 7:41.488; 5. Catholic, 7:43.256;
6. Wisconsin, 7:44.138; 7. Massachusetts Maritime, 8:31.474
UW Lineup - Coxswain
Charles Ramquist,
Connor Goff,
Henry Wurdell,
Benjamin Cook,
Alexander Beer
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Varsity Eight C Final (Places 13-18) - 8 a.m. CT
Second Varsity Eight C Final (Places 13-18) - 7:40 a.m.
Third Varsity Eight C Final (Places 13-18) - 7:30 a.m.
How to watch
Sunday, 7:00 AM CT: Click
HERE
More Information
Results | Full Schedule
