Led by junior coxswain Darien Chiang, the Bates men's first varsity eight improved by a significant margin from last year's 26th-place showing at the Head of the Charles Regatta, taking 12th out of 42 boats in the collegiate eights race on Sunday with a time of 15:04.156.
The always-tricky Eliot Bridge proved to be a challenge for Chiang as Colby and Bucknell were there along with the Bobcats. Bucknell refused to yield, so the Bates oars overlapped with Colby's and clashed, slowing both crews down.
"Being sandwiched between two boats is a tricky situation to be in no matter where you are, let alone the Eliot turn," Chiang said. "But we focused on controlling what we could. At the end of the day we always want our bow ball to be ahead, but I prioritize the safety of the athletes in the boat first."
Bucknell's refusal to yield did not help them, as they placed 15th, three spots behind the Bobcats.
