GREENE, Maine -- The Bates rowing varsity eights swept their respective races and the Bobcats won their ninth consecutive President's Cup Regatta Sunday morning on the Androscoggin River. 

"It was a terrific day of racing on the 'Scogg!," Bates head coach Peter Steenstra said. "It was great to once again host the President's Cup after two years without the regatta. The final tune up for the crews was a great way to end exams and finalize our preparations for the championship regatta season." 

Rivals Bowdoin and Colby kept it close, as the Bobcats tallied 18 points to earn the victory. Bowdoin finished second with 14 points and Colby came in third with 13 points. 

Colby got off to a fast start Sunday morning with a victory in the men's novice fours race, with the Mules crossing the line in 7:14.7, earning three points. But the Bobcats took second in 7:25.1, tallying two points for themselves. 

Then the Bates women's novice four A crew of first-year Julia Buzacott (Washington, D.C.), first-year Olivia Szachta (Duxbury, Mass.), first-year Lydia Barker (Wellesley, Mass.), first-year Dominique Bunnell (Greenland, N.H.), and junior coxswain Hannah Braslau (Chelmsford, Mass.) took care of business, winning their race in 8:21.9. Colby's crew got second in 8:30, giving both schools five points each through two races.

After a short break, the men's first varsity eight shined, earning the Bobcats three more points. Led by junior coxswain Aidan Braithwaite (Milton, Mass.) and senior stroke Espen Wheeler (Paradis, Norway), the Bobcats won their race in 6:28.1, defeating runner-up Bowdoin (6:36) by open water. Notably, the Bates men's second varsity eight also competed in this race and they out-raced Colby's first varsity eight by 10 seconds. Led by senior coxswain Evan Saltman (Newfields, N.H.) and senior stroke Jack Fruechte (Minneapolis, Minn.), the Bates 2V raced to the finish in 6:42.4. 

Then it was time for the four-time defending NCAA champion women's team to flex their muscles. Led by sophomore coxswain Lucy Del Col (Wellesley, Mass.) and junior stroke Molly Connors (Westwood, Mass.), the women's 1V won its race in 7:16.0, nearly 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Colby (7:35).

Now with 11 points, the Bobcats added to their lead thanks to the men's novice eight. 

Led by first-year coxswain Rowan Cody (Madison, Wis.) and first-year stroke Ian Van Loo (Houston, Texas), the Bates men's novice eight defeated Bowdoin in a one-on-one matchup with a winning time of 6:51. The Polar Bears crossed the line in 6:56.

Bowdoin, a club coached by Bates alumnus Doug Welling '01, is known for its strong fours boats, and Sunday was no exception. The Polar Bears made a late run at the Bobcats with wins in the women's and men's varsity fours races. But the Bobcats scored enough points to hold off the hard-charging rivals from Brunswick. 

The Bates women and men are back in action this Saturday at the New England Rowing Championships, hosted by WPI. 

Bates MV8 lineup: Bow: Sean Christiansen; 2: Xavier Fallone; 3: Thomas Monahan; 4: Timothy Bates; 5: Charlie Berman; 6: Steven Sparks; 7: Robert Sobolewski; Stroke: Espen Wheeler; c: Aidan Braithwaite

Bates M2V8 lineup: Bow: Benjamin MacDonald; 2: Nicholas Van Ingen; 3: William Corcoran; 4: Andrew Frey; 5: Alexander Burbelo; 6: William Crate; 7: Maxwell Cavallaro; Stroke: Jack Fruechte; c: Evan Saltman

Bates MN8 lineup: Bow: Jimmy Staller; 2: Solomon Sakakeeny-Smith; 3: Oliver Firmenich; 4: Sander Katz; 5: Samuel Marchman; 6: Charles Renvyle; 7: Tom White; Stroke: Ian Van Loo; c: Rowan Cody

Bates MV4 lineup: Bow: Thomas Monahan; 2: Xavier Fallone; 3: Robert Sobolewski; 4: Espen Wheeler; c: Evan Saltman

Bates M2V4 lineup: Bow: Micah Johnson; 2: William Conway; 3: Riley Young; 4: Samuel Faasen; c: Celia Tolan

Bates MN4 lineup: Bow: Martijn den Boon; 2: Benjamin Auerbach; 3: Samuel Marchman; 4: Ian Van Loo; c: Rowan Cody

Bates WV8 lineup: Bow: Eliana Weissmann; 2: Katarina Dickson; 3: Sophia Marota; 4: Maeve Mikulski; 5: Lillian Kinder; 6: Casey Winter; 7: Ollie Young; Stroke: Molly Connors; c: Lucy Del Col

Bates W2V8 lineup: Bow: Sydney Paul; 2: Eloise Botka; 3: Kathryn Richards; 4: Abigail Somosky; 5: Mary Trafton; 6: Josephine Stevens; 7: Livia Bernhardt; Stroke: Emily Everett; c: Isabella Sobolewski

Bates WN8 lineup: Bow: Isabelle Larson; 2: Dominique Bunnell; 3: Caitlin Chan; 4: Rylee Eaton; 5: Madeline Kemp; 6: Olivia Szachta; 7: Lydia Barker; Stroke: Julia Buzacott; c: Hannah Braslau

Bates WV4 lineup: Bow: Darya Lee; 2: Hope Stamp; 3: Alexa Bowerfind; 4: Genesis Bussey; c: Olivia Seline

Bates W2V4 lineup: Bow: Claire Scott; 2: Olivia Dekker; 3: Kathryn Richards; 4: Madeline Hogan; c: Kerry Ettinger

Bates WN4-A lineup: Bow: Julia Buzacott; 2: Olivia Szachta; 3: Lydia Barker; 4: Dominique Bunnell; c: Hannah Braslau

Bates WN4-B lineup: Bow: Elizabeth Gramley; 2: Elizabeth Jack; 3: Yiwen Wu; 4: Rylee Eaton; c: Nicola Lynch-Collier