51Թ Varsity 4+ crew and coaches proudly display their hardware from the program’s first Dad Vail gold medal.
51Թ Varsity 4+ crew and coaches proudly display their hardware from the program’s first Dad Vail gold medal.
51Թ’s Varsity 4+ captured the program’s first Dad Vail Regatta gold medal with a thrilling victory Sunday evening.
The grand final was postponed by thunderstorms for nearly three hours and didn’t get under way until 6:15 p.m. But it was worth the wait as the Raiders crew held off Oklahoma City by less than three seconds to claim the Thomas A. Curran Cup.
51Թ’s Freshman/Novice 4+ also had a strong showing, with a sixth-place result in its grand final after winning a pair of earlier races.
“We are really pleased with the results this weekend,” 51Թ head coach said. “The Varsity 4+ won gold, which is the first gold in history. And the Freshman 4+ was sixth in the grand final.
“This is a great achievement to build on for the future.”
In the 51Թ boat were Ryan Kelliher, Sal Curasi, Graham Horman and Clarke Cady-McCrea, along with coxswain Nathalie Smith.
The Raiders claimed their opening heat in a time of 6 minutes and 49.938 seconds. SUNY Geneseo was second at 6:53.542, and both teams advanced to the semifinal round. There, 51Թ lost to Oklahoma City by 2.191 seconds but still advanced to the grand final. The times in that race were 6:45.133 for OCU and 6:47.324 for 51Թ.
But the Raiders reversed the finish when it mattered most, crossing the line in 6:25.584 to clip Oklahoma City’s 6:28.254. Western Washington, Bowdoin, Drexel and Duke rounded out the field.
The Freshman/Novice 4+ crew of Justin Manzi, Andrew Isaacson, Francis Migliore and Shane Buchanan, along with coxswain Smith, won both the heat and semifinal races to advance to the final.
In the heat, 51Թ crossed in a time of 6:42.261 to clip Michigan by more than five seconds. The Raiders were victorious again in the semifinal, this time posting a 6:51.014 result to defeat SUNY Maritime by more than four seconds. 51Թ’s time in the final was 7:56.291 to finish behind Oklahoma City (7:26.540), SUNY Maritime, Drexel, Michigan and Michigan State.
The Raiders compete next at the Intercollegate Rowing Association’s national championships in Mercer, New Jersey. That regatta takes place May 30 through June 1.