Bucknell 3v wins Kerr Cup

Concluding its spring regular season, Bucknell made the short trip to Philadelphia to compete at the Kerr Cup last weekend. This regatta always excites team members because it allows them to measure their speed against varsity programs such as Drexel and La Salle while also taking on club-rivals like Rutgers and George Washington. The 1v and 2v followed a progression from heats to finals whereas the 3v, N8+ and 4+ raced just once in a straight final.

The varsity eight would have to place top three in its heat to advance to the grand final. Assuming that Drexel would win the heat, Bucknell knew that it would have to beat either Rutgers or GW to advance. 1250m into the heat, Bucknell sat three seats behind second-place Rutgers. GW lingered two seats behind Bucknell in fourth. As the race reached its final stages, however, GW eclipsed Bucknell to secure third and advance to the grand final. In the petite final, the varsity eight put together a more complete piece to win comfortably by open water.

The second varsity eight took care of business in its heat, doing enough to qualify for the grand final without having to touch its highest gear. Overwhelmed by numerous varsity programs in the grand final, Bucknell fell behind early and struggled to keep up. A late surge almost propelled the crew past Drexel’s 4v, but it wasn’t enough. The 2v would place sixth overall.

Determined to keep its undefeated season alive, the third varsity eight took on a field of varsity programs in addition to the Bucknell novice 8+, a crew it competes with on a daily basis. The 3v took the lead off the start and dictated the pace from wire to wire, winning the race by nearly a length over St. Joe’s. The novice 8+ followed in close pursuit from the edge of the course. Halfway through the race, both Bucknell boats were virtually even for the lead. In the final 200m, St. Joe’s and Drexel eventually caught up to secure second and third place respectively. While the novice 8+ finished just outside the top three, every member agreed that the boat put down its best race of the year.

The varsity four rounded out the morning by taking on athletes from other teams’ second or third boats. As members of Bucknell’s fifth eight, this group was naturally outmatched, but it did a decent job keeping up with Rutgers and fending off Loyola to finish fifth overall.

Next weekend, Bucknell will race on Mercer Lake for the MARC Championship. Bucknell has won the team points trophy each of the last two years and will look to achieve the three-peat for the first time in program history.

1st Varsity 8+ – 2024 Hudson U8.43 Ultra Super Predator
Coxswain: Izzy Mersky, Sr.
Stroke: Andrew Viola, Sr.
7: Chris Kirby, So.
6: Zach Gerhardt, Sr.
5: Conor McNichols, Jr.
4: Sen Zelov, Jr.
3: Ryan Genel, So.
2: Miles Clyde, Fr.
Bow: Jonas Sanchez, Fr.

2nd Varsity 8+ – 2022 Hudson S8.32 Super Predator
Coxswain: Tyler Leong, Fr.
Stroke: Luka Arvanitis, Jr.
7: Luke Lambropoulos, Sr.
6: Soren Stein, Fr.
5: Jackson Green, Fr.
4: Dominic Canale, Sr.
3: Robert Canestrari, Fr.
2: Ryan Spallone, Jr.
Bow: Sebastian Brandt, Fr.

3rd Varsity 8+ – 2022 Hudson S8.32 Super Predator
Coxswain: Regine Escher, Fr.
Stroke: Tim Robertson, So.
7: Graham Knox, Sr.
6: Oliver Abushacra, So.
5: Any Thompson, Jr.
4: Will Blumenthal, So.
3: Jack Greenleaf, Fr.
2: John Kirincich, So.
Bow: Tennyson Kelly, Fr.

Novice 8+ – Class of 2020
Coxswain: Zach Singer, Fr.
Stroke: Wes Peot, Fr.
7: Cornelius Nichilo, Fr.
6: Kristian Komorowski, Fr.
5: Joe Hofmann, Fr.
4: Tiarnan Nowak, Fr.
3: Jacob Mohr, Fr.
2: Tanner Tighelaar, Fr.
Bow: Tommy Smith, Fr.

Varsity 4+
Coxswain: Jack Lieblein, So.
Stroke: Griffin Walsh, So.
3: Brendan Arnold, Sr.
2: Chris Morale, So.
Bow: Collin Campbell, Fr.