Last weekend the program traveled up to Boston to compete in the 55th Head of the Charles. Warm with minimal wind, the weather presented favorable conditions unlike most HOCR weekends of the past. This year the program entered three boats: the men’s collegiate eight, men’s collegiate four, and men’s alumni eight.
Racing Saturday afternoon was the men’s alumni eight, a boat with some fairly young personnel in an event inclusive of a wide range of ages. As could be predicted, the first half of the race felt smooth and manageable, but as the crew hit the halfway point and exited the Weeks Footbridge, things became a little more difficult. Ultimately the boat finished 40th out of 52 and celebrated accordingly afterwards.
The men’s varsity eight raced the following afternoon in the collegiate eight event. Like the alumni boat, this crew contained a young group with a few members making their varsity eight debut. Despite a solid line taken by sophomore coxswain Max Silverman, the boat placed in the bottom half of the field, finishing 28th out of 38. The men’s four wrapped up the day by finishing 33rd of 40.
While the rowers would’ve liked to place higher, they understood the special circumstances of the season so far: a combination of inexperience with limited water to practice on back home. After debriefing the performance, the team unanimously directed its focus towards the winter and the progress to be made between now and March. Having unlocked substantial speed last winter, the athletes were excited about the possibility of getting a head start on a training program they trust.
Lineups
Men’s Collegiate 8
Cox: Max Silverman ‘22
8: Matt Brown ‘20
7: Tom Lanphier ‘20
6: Bobby Subak ‘21
5: Davis MacKelcan ‘22
4: Phil Onffroy ‘22
3: Alex Herman ‘20
2: Chris Mangano ‘21
1: Thomas Stone ‘23
Men’s Collegiate 4
Cox: Brody Mistrot ‘21
4: Matt Dain ‘22
3: Jake Bardorf ‘23
2: Phil Thompson ‘20
1: Jackson Ingram ‘21
Men’s Alumni 8
Cox: Kate Rolfes ’15
8: Mike Pallotta ‘18
7: Ryan McSherry ‘19
6: John Leasure ‘19
5: John Kauffman ‘11
4: Christian Daugherty ‘18
3: James Koenigsberg ‘18
2: Sam Wiley ‘17
1: Mike Birosak ‘18