WORCESTER, Mass – The Ithaca College men's rowing team hit the road once again and traveled to Worcester, Massachusetts to compete in the National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC). The race featured roughly 27 clubs with just over 115 total race entries.
The NIRC mostly showcases teams from across the Northeast and Massachusetts. With that being said, the Bombers were able to take on some new teams and match-up against different lineups. Friday's racing was shifted to be slightly earlier in the day due to anticipated weather in the area.
Each IC crew raced twice. Due to the number of entries at this regatta, there were two to three separate heats for each category, with preliminary heats taking place in the morning, and finals in the late afternoon.
The first race of the day for Ithaca was the men's varsity eight. In the Bombers initial heat, they were matched-up against Wesleyan, Trinity, Bates, Colby, and Connecticut College.
The Bomber's 1V consisted of
Miles Kenaston,
Riley Maynard,
Jake Lentz,
James Ross,
Henry Grant,
Dehron Smith,
Gregg Seiz,
Griffin Hunt, and
Seth Freeman.
In their heat, the top boat finished fourth with a final time of 6:26.77, placing them in the petite final.
Later, in the 1V petite final, the Bombers would finish fifth with a final time of 6:06.31. Ithaca was able to defeat Hamilton who trailed just behind them.
Next up and rounding out the day for IC would be the men's 2V eight. The Bombers faced off against Marist, WPI, Hobart, Michigan, and Trinity.
The second varsity eight for the Bombers featured
Caroline Grass,
Aidan Gardner,
Jonah Alefantis,
Tristan Dole,
Cameron Stanford,
Maxwell Vallino,
Bryce Williston,
Cameron Strong,
Caleb Grassi.
In their heat, the 2V finished sixth with a time of 6:39.46. This performance landed the crew in the petite final.
Later in the day, in the petite finals, the 2V took third place with a final time of 6:08.04. The Bombers fell just behind WPI who went 6:06.88.
All in all, Ithaca had a nice day of racing and a good road trip. The Bombers will wait and see if they qualified for the IRA Championship which would take place on June 3 in Camden, New Jersey.
