CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Bates rowing teams took on Division I opponents Boston University, Boston College, and MIT Sunday as part of the Charles River Racing Series.

The highlight of the day for the Bobcats came in the men's second varsity eight race, with Bates winning in 6:12.8. Led by junior coxswain Aidan Braithwaite (Milton, Mass.) and senior stroke Jack Fruechte (Minneapolis, Minn.), the 2V outraced the MIT lightweights (6:15) and Boston College (6:25.4) to take first out of three crews.

"I was impressed with all our rowers but the men's second varsity eight really did a nice job bouncing back from some tough luck down in San Diego," Bates head coach Peter Steenstra said. "They showed their true potential today." 

The Bates men's third varsity eight also won its race. Led by first-year coxswain Rowan Cody (Madison, Wis.) and first-year stroke Ian Van Loo (Houston, Texas), the Bobcats raced to the finish in 6:27.3. It was an open water victory as the Eagles of Boston College finished second in 6:35.5. The Bates fourth varsity eight competed in the race as well and took third in 6:42. 

In the men's first varsity eight race, the Bobcats finished second in 6:06.4, well ahead of Boston College (6:21.3) but behind the MIT lightweights (6:00.2). 

On the women's side, the varsity four turned in an impressive performance. Led by first-year coxswain Isabel Beck (Montclair, N.J.), the crew of sophomore bow Claire Scott (Vancouver, Wash.), junior Madeline Hogan (Boston), junior Josephine Stevens (Buffalo, N.Y.), and first-year Julia Buzacott (Washington, D.C.) took second place in its race in 8:25.6, behind the Boston University lightweights, but ahead of the MIT lightweights. 

Meanwhile, the women's second, third, and fourth varsity eights, all competed in the same race with the Boston University 2V lightweights. BU won the race in just under seven minutes, with the three Bates crews finishing in the expected order, as the 2V took second in 7:14.7.

The women's first varsity eight competed in the only one-on-one race of the day, taking on the BU lightweights at 7am, the first race of the morning. BU prevailed in 6:51.2, with the Bates women racing to the finish in 7:06.8. 

The Bates rowing teams are back in action this Saturday at Tufts, as the Bates women and men take on the Jumbos and the Wesleyan University Cardinals. 

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

Bates W2V8 lineup: Bow: Darya Lee; 2: Hannah Burdick; 3: Livia Bernhardt; 4: Hope Stamp; 5: Mary Trafton; 6: Katarina Dickson; 7: Eloise Botka; Stroke: Genesis Bussey; c: Isabella Sobolewski

Bates W3V8 lineup: Bow: Beatrice Johnston; 2: Emily Everett; 3: Alexa Bowerfind; 4: Abigail Somosky; 5: Kathryn Richards; 6: Margaret Horvat; 7: Lydia Barker; Stroke: Miryam Keller; c: Olivia Seline

Bates W4V8 lineup: Bow: Isabelle Larson; 2: Maggie Kornfeind; 3: Chelsea Griscom; 4: Dominique Bunnell; 5: Abby Marriott; 6: Yiwen Wu; 7: Olivia Dekker; Stroke: Rylee Eaton; c: Kerry Ettinger

Bates WV4 lineup: Bow: Claire Scott; 2: Madeline Hogan; 3: Josephine Stevens; 4: Julia Buzacott; c: Isabel Beck

Bates MV8 lineup: Bow: Thomas Monahan; 2: Xavier Fallone; 3: Charlie Berman; 4: Jasper Tucker; 5: Timothy Bates; 6: Steven Sparks; 7: Robert Sobolewski; Stroke: Espen Wheeler; c: Evan Saltman

Bates M2V8 lineup: Bow: Benjamin MacDonald; 2: Benjamin Auerbach; 3: William Corcoran; 4: William Crate; 5: Alexander Burbelo; 6: Colton Sochia; 7: Sean Christiansen; Stroke: Jack Fruechte; c: Aidan Braithwaite

Bates M3V8 lineup: Bow: Tom White; 2: Nicholas Van Ingen; 3: Oliver Firmenich; 4: Xavier Fallone; 5: Samuel Marchman; 6: Charles Renvyle; 7: Riley Young; Stroke: Ian Van Loo; c: Rowan Cody

Bates M4V8 lineup: Bow: Micah Johnson; 2: William Conway; 3: Jimmy Staller; 4: Sander Katz; 5: Andrew Frey; 6: Solomon Sakakeeny-Smith; 7: Martijn den Boon; Stroke: Samuel Faasen; c: Celia Tolan