MALDEN, Mass. -- The Bates men's rowing team came up short of winning a fourth straight conference title, as Williams College took first place at the four-team NESCAC Men's Rowing Championship held Sunday on the Malden River.

Williams captured first place in both the men's varsity eight (MV8) and second varsity eight (M2V8) grand final races to capture its ninth NESCAC men's rowing title and its first since 2016. Bates had won four of the past five (there was no championship held in 2020), including the past three between 2017 and 2019. The conference has crowned men's rowing champions since 2004.

Bates' first varsity eight fell narrowly to Trinity in its preliminary heat, in the closest race of the day, 5:54.6 to 5:55.79. The loss relegated the Bobcat boat to the MV8 petite final, where it was outpaced by the host Jumbos 6:05.1 to 6:09.9 to place fourth among MV8s. Williams defeated Trinity in the MV8 grand final 5:59.6 to 6:11.63.

The Bates M2V8 easily outraced Trinity in its preliminary heat, 6:22.3 to 6:34.87 to advance to the grand final. The Bobcats fell to the Ephs in the M2V8 grand final by a margin of 6:09.6 to 6:21.32.

Bates MV8 lineup: Bow: Thomas Monahan;  2: Jasper Tucker; 3: Maxwell Cavallaro; 4: Timothy Bates; 5: Kevin Downing; 6: Steven Sparks; 7: Robert Sobolewski; Stroke: Espen Wheeler; c: Kevin Murphy 

Bates M2V8 lineup: Bow: Benjamin MacDonald; 2: Xavier Fallone; 3: William Corcoran 4: Alexander Burbelo; 5: Connor Sahs; 6: Isaac Levinger; 7: Charlie Berman; Stroke: Jack Fruechte; c: Aidan Temperino