WEST WINDSOR, N.J. -- The Bates men's rowing team competed at the prestigious IRA National Championship Regatta for the second time in program history over the weekend, taking on the best-of-the-best in collegiate men's rowing.
The regatta got underway bright and early Friday morning at 7am with a pair of time trials. Led by sophomore coxswain
Kevin Murphy (Washington, D.C.) and junior stroke
Robert Sobolewski (Oakton, Va.), the first varsity eight finished in 29th place with a time of 5:54.702. Bates out-raced Marietta College by about three seconds and barely finished behind the University of San Diego (5:54.336).
Led by senior captain coxswain
Aidan Temperino (Plymouth, N.H.) and junior stroke
Jack Fruechte (Minneapolis, Minn.) the second varsity eight finished its time trial in 6:34.074, just a couple seconds behind Jacksonville University.
The 1V flipped the script on San Diego in its semifinal race, finishing in fifth place with a time of 6:56.694 while San Diego finished sixth in 6:59.192. Bates finished just behind Gonzaga (6:55.977) and NESCAC foe Trinity (6:54.708) in the race, won by Saint Joseph's University in 6:48.891.
The first varsity eight backed up its previous performances by out-racing Marietta and San Diego again in its final, finishing in 6:40.649, good for third place. Gonzaga won the final race in 6:34.672 and Jacksonville came in second with a time of 6:37.472
A young Bates team loses just three seniors to graduation this year and looks to take back the NESCAC title in 2022 after having finished fourth in the conference this year.
Bates MV8 lineup: Bow:
Jasper Tucker; 2:
Thomas Monahan; 3:
Timothy Bates; 4:
Kevin Downing; 5:
Steven Sparks; 6:
Maxwell Cavallaro; 7:
Espen Wheeler; Stroke:
Robert Sobolewski; c:
Kevin Murphy
Bates M2V8 lineup: Bow:
Benjamin MacDonald; 2:
Xavier Fallone; 3:
Jackson Cote; 4:
William Corcoran; 5:
Alexander Burbelo; 6:
Isaac Levinger;
7:
Charlie Berman; Stroke:
Jack Fruechte; c:
Aidan Temperino
Alternate: Samuel Faasen
Alternate coxswain: Evan Saltman
