GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- The Bates men's rowing eights placed third in their respective heats Friday at the IRA National Championship, enough to qualify both crews for Saturday's grand finals on Lake Natoma.
The day started with the first varsity eight taking to the water for their heat. Led by junior coxswain
Darien Chiang (Quincy, Mass.) and senior captain stroke seat
Luke Desmaison (New York City), the Bobcats raced to the finish in 6:11.420, good for third place behind Wesleyan (5:58.140) and Tufts (5:59.290). The Bobcats out-raced Ithaca College (6:15.590) to secure a spot in the grand final.
Then the second varsity eight crushed Ithaca by open water to place third in their heat as well. Led by senior captain coxswain
Micah Shimizu (Batavia, Ill.) and first-year stroke seat
Will Mitchell (Belvedere, Calif.), the Bobcats recorded a time of 6:20.050, behind Tufts (6:11.200) and Wesleyan (6:13.250) but well-ahead of the Bombers (6:40.030) as Bates advanced to the grand final.
Bates also sent a developmental boat, the varsity four, to IRAs once again this year. Competing against all levels of men's collegiate rowing, this group raced in a time trial on Friday where they crossed the finish line in 6:44.698, ahead of IRA Division I program Holy Cross (6:45.280). Later that evening, the four, which is led by sophomore coxswain
Sara Maquera (Glenview, Ill.) and sophomore stroke seat
Sam Williams (Guilford, Conn.) placed fifth in the D/E semifinal in 6:53.260, once again out-racing Holy Cross (6:55.220).
Friday's racing sets up Saturday's schedule, which looks like this:
- Men's Varsity Four E Final at 1:32 p.m. eastern time featuring Columbia in Lane 1, Wisconsin in Lane 2, Drexel in Lane 3, Bates in Lane 4, and Holy Cross in Lane 5.
- Men's Second Varsity Eight D3 Grand Final at 2:56 p.m. eastern time featuring Williams in Lane 1, Tufts in Lane 2, Trinity in Lane 3, Wesleyan in Lane 4, Colby in Lane 5, and Bates in Lane 6.
- Men's First Varsity Eight D3 Grand Final at 3:22 p.m. eastern time featuring Wesleyan in Lane 1, Trinity in Lane 2, Tufts in Lane 3, Williams in Lane 4, Bates in Lane 5, and Marietta in Lane 6.
Bates IRA National Championship Lineups:
Bates MV8 lineup: Bow:
Erik Lindholm; 2:
Brendan Kelly; 3:
Samuel Perozek; 4:
Conor McGuckin; 5:
Roy Bellows; 6:
Lando Putnam-Bagley; 7:
Luke Johnson; Stroke:
Luke Desmaison; c:
Darien Chiang
Bates M2V8 lineup: Bow:
John Cleary; 2:
Hugh McCabe; 3:
Benji Richards; 4:
Bryce Ahn; 5:
Kelly McKaige; 6:
Sean McCabe; 7:
Thomas Pacinda; Stroke:
Will Mitchell; c:
Micah Shimizu
Bates MV4 lineup: Bow:
Nicholas Hoerle; 2:
Logan Schlichter; 3:
Jack Tierney; 4:
Sam Williams; c:
Sara Maquera
Student Assistant Coach: Wiley Anderson
