The miserable weather conditions this weekend did not put a damper on the success of the Boston University men’s, women’s and lightweight rowing teams in the 52nd showing of the Head of the Charles Regatta. The Terriers combined for five top-five showings on Saturday and Sunday.
Started in 1965, thousands of people swarm the Charles River to cheer on the nearly 11,000 rowers who compete annually in the regatta.
Saturday’s play, hindered by torrential downpour, ended with four top-10 finishes for the Terriers.
In the men’s club eight race, the third varsity boat, which was coxed by sophomore Sean Dooling and stroked by freshman Travis Kennedy, finished third (15:37.12) in a race of 36 boats.
The fourth BU varsity boat, coxed by sophomore Jeane Garner and stroked by sophomore Kyle Blackburn, came in eighth place in the same race with a time of 15:48.86.
BU also performed well in the men’s club four race on Saturday.
Coxed by sophomore Nick Meehan and stroked by freshman Theo Warren, the boat finished in 17:06.65, enough for a bronze medal in the field of 49 boats.
The last top-10 rowers for the Terriers on Saturday came in the men’s alumni event, as the BU eight boat took fourth place.
Sunday saw a departure from the previous day’s rain, but was replaced by turbulent winds and frigid fall temperatures.
In the men’s championship eight race, the BU first varsity boat of sophomore coxswain MacKenzie Hart and junior stroker Max Ponsen came in fifth place with a time of 15:09.26.
The top-five showing in the championship eight race matched the program’s highest finish in the regatta, which was set last season.
BU’s run of success didn’t just stop with the men’s team.
In the women’s lightweight eight race, the Terriers, who were coxed by sophomore Anna Wisotzkey and stroked by classmates Janice Hagerman, were runners-up in the nine-boat event. Their time of 18:28.02 was 11 seconds behind the victorious Harvard University squad.
BU’s second varsity lightweight boat also did well in the race, as it came in sixth place with a time of 19:01.68.
The final two top-10 performances for the Terriers came in the women’s lightweight four race.
The 4’’A’’ boat, which was coxed by sophomore Taylor Alix and stroked by freshman Elise Gorberg, capped off the weekend with a time of 20:46.06. This gave BU a fourth-place finish and marked its last top-five finish in the regatta.
Among collegiate teams in the lightweight four race, the Terriers were only surpassed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (20:37.24).
And finally, BU’s second varsity side in the lightweight four race ended the weekend with a top-10 placing, as it came in seventh place with a time of 21:08.39.
The Terriers go into their upcoming meets with confidence following the men’s and women’s team’s accomplishments this weekend in the regatta.
Well done.