Men's Rowing | June 1, 2024

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - The La Salle Univeristy men's rowing team put together a strong second day at IRA National Championships on Saturday. The varsity eight took second in its heat and advanced to the 'C' final on Sunday, while the second varsity eight earned a spot in the 'D' final. Additionally, the varsity four closed its season with a second-place showing in the fourth final and earns a No. 20 national placement.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The varsity eight opened the day by squaring off against five ranked teams, three of whom they had seen already this season - Drexel, Oregon State, and Santa Clara.
• La Salle began the race in a solid third position, behind both Columbia and Drexel, but slowly crept up throughout.
• At the midway point, the Explorers were roughly a second behind the Dragons and 500 meters later, were all but even as the two boats moved towards the finish line.
• Led by coxswain Trevor Fawcett and stroke seat Nick O'Neill, the crew sprinted past Drexel and took second in the semifinal by just over a second.
• The runner-up showing secures a Top-18 placement for the Explorers with the final coming on Sunday.
• The second varsity eight also saw a few familiar teams in its semi, with Oregon State, Georgetown, and Stanford all competing.
• La Salle was even with Oregon State for third place through 500 meters, but could not gain traction throughout the remainder of the race and finished fourth.
• The time was over seven seconds faster than fifth-place Santa Clara, with the D final waiting on Sunday.
• In the final race of the day, the varsity four started off slow in its race against Stanford, Cornell, Northeastern, Marist, and Adrian.
• The Explorers were in fifth position after the first 500 meters but quickly moved to third at the halfway point of the race.
• La Salle continued its ascent over the final 1,000 meters and finished in second place - ahead of Cornell and just behind Stanford - to secure a top 20 finish nationally.

RACE RESULTS
Varsity Eight Semifinal 
1. Columbia - 5:43.125
2. La Salle - 5:48.082
3. Drexel - 5:49.138

Second Varsity Eight Semifinal
3. Oregon State - 5:58.057
4. La Salle - 6:03.597
5. Santa Clara - 6:10.910

Varsity Four Final 4
1. Stanford - 6:33.354
2. La Salle - 6:35.987
3. Cornell - 6:37.627

SCHEDULE - DAY 3 (SUNDAY)
8:40 a.m. - Second Varsity Eight D Final
9:20 a.m. - Varsity Eight C Final