United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Men's Crew - Bears Post Strong Performance at Head of Charles

BOSTON, MASS.--(10/19/08)--The US Coast Guard Academy Men’s and Women’s Crews competed against the top DI, DII, DIII and club programs from all over the world at the 44th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta.

On Saturday, under clear and sunny skies, two of the CGA’s four entries opened up the weekend of competition. The CGA Second Varsity Men competed in the Club Eight event against a variety of crews ranging from international club programs to DI programs who did not get accepted into the Championship events to other DIII second varsity's, while the Women’s Second Varsity competed in the Collegiate 4+ event that included collegiate programs in the US and Canada regardless of division as long as there are no athletic scholarships offered. In the Men’s event, the Bears posted a great performance that had them finish in 20th place out of the field of 69 crews. The winner was Harvard University’s Second Varsity. With this performance, CGA once again guaranteed an entry in the Men’s Club Eight event in next year’s regatta.

In the Women’s Collegiate 4+ event, the Bears rowed a solid race and found a strong racing rhythm over the last mile of the course. Racing against a number of programs who boat their top athletes in the fours event, the Bears rowed to an 18th place overall out of 34 entries and missing a guaranteed entry into next year’s regatta by just one place. The winner of the event was Western Rowing Club from Canada.

On Sunday, the first varsities took to the water in cold and breezy weather conditions to compete in the Collegiate Eights event that features all of the top collegiate programs in the US and Canada regardless of division as long as there are no athletic scholarships offered. In the Men’s race, the Bears established a solid rhythm out of the starting chute and maintained it down the course. The Bears posted an impressive 7th place finish (5th DIII school) out of 38 entries in the event easily guaranteeing an entry into next year’s Men’s Collegiate Eight event. The winner of the event was Williams College.

In the Women’s Collegiate Eights event, the CGA Bears found themselves in the unenviable position of not passing anyone while also not being passed so had to rely on pushing themselves over the three mile course. The Bears finished strongly and posted an 11th place out of 34 entries; 6th out of all DIII entries and finishing ahead of all its NEWMAC rivals, while also earning a guaranteed entry into next year’s Women’s Collegiate Eight event. The winner of the event was Williams College, the defending NCAA DIII National Champions.

The CGA Women’s team will look to build on this end-of-fall performance as they go into the winter training months to prepare for yet another campaign to represent the Academy at the NCAA’s in May.

For complete results, please go to http://www.hocr.org/results/results.asp.