Updates
We are pleased to announce the addition of Zach Stackhouse to the coaching staff for 2015-2016! Zach brings a lot of rowing experience and love for the program to the staff and we are confident he will help move us closer to becoming ACRA Champions.
Zach is a first year law student at Notre Dame. He graduated from ND in 2012 with a degree in Philosophy...
Read Zach's full Bio HERE
What I am sure you have all been waiting for! The NEW BOATHOUSE is coming along very nicely. We now have walls, floors and almost a roof! The second floor is even starting soon! Very exciting stuff for us and something that will help move the program to the next level.
Images below...
Stay tuned for more updates!
ACRA Results and End of the Season
2nd Varsity 4+:
Heat: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:56.86
Advanced to – Finals
Grand Final: Place – 5th
Time – 7:02.36
Varsity 4+:
Heat: Place – 4th
Time – 6:47.01
Advanced to – Repechage
Repechage: Place – 1st
Time – 6:53.2
Advanced to – Semi-Final
Semi-Final: Place – 7th
Time – 6:56.1
Advanced to – Petite Final
Petite Final: Place – 6th
Time: 6:55.84
Varsity 8+:
Heat: Place – 3rd
Time – 5:56.82
Advanced to – Semi-Final
Semi-Final: Place – 5th
Time – 5:54.7
Advanced to – Petite Final
Petite Final: Place – 4th
Time – 6:07.42
2nd Novice 8+:
Heat: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:35.0
Advanced to – Grand Final
Grand Final: Place – 3rd
Time – 6:36.22
Novice 8+:
Heat: Place – 3rd
Time – 6:18.66
Advanced to – Repechage
Repechage: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:13.2
Advanced to – Petite Final
Petite Final: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:16.0
We would like to congratulate the men of Notre Dame Rowing Club on a great season, and also the 2nd Novice 8 for bringing home some hardware from ACRAs. The team made significant strides this year, becoming faster and growing together.
That being said, the team has collectively set the bar higher for Notre Dame Men’s Rowing. Our men are not satisfied with the results from this year’s ACRAs. Already, the team has set their sights on ACRA 2016 and is determined to get faster. Whether lifting weights, erging, or joining their local rowing clubs, our men are taking steps this summer to reach the bar they have all set.
We are excited to return in the fall and take the Notre Dame Rowing Club to new heights. Thank you to all of our parents and donors who have supported us throughout our season. We look forward to seeing you all next season!
R’Irish!
The team arrived in Gainesville, Georgia on Wednesday to compete at the ACRA National Championships. As a program, our end goal is to win at ACRAs. Our oarsmen have trained extensively all year with this goal in mind. In the weeks since MACRAs, the team has continued to improve and make the final adjustments necessary to find success in Gainesville. We are excited to see what we can accomplish in what will be a great weekend of racing.
We have five Notre Dame boats entered for ACRAs. Their tentative heat times and competition are as follows:
Varsity 8+: Heat 4 at 12:20 pm vs. Illinois, Kansas, Cincinnati, UC Irvine, and UCSB. (Top 3 to the semi finals)
1st Varsity 4+: Heat 3 at 11:34 am vs. Michigan, UMass, UCLA, Murray St, Kansas St, and George Mason. (Top 3 to semi finals)
2nd Varsity 4+: Heat 2 at 10:00 am vs. Michigan, Boston College, Vermont, and UCSB. (Top 3 to grand final)
1st Novice 8+: Heat 1 at 10:20 am vs. Illinois, Minnesota, UC Irvine, Orange Coast, New Hampshire, and Kansas. (Top 2 to grand final)
2nd Novice 8+: Heat 2 at 3:02 pm vs. UCSB and Wash U. (all to final, place determines lane)
The full (tentative) schedule can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JxaNHgiV9sT6MGqbAYOJpaTMGiqFuuUA8ezZHKijp_w/edit?usp=sharing
Our results from the weekend will be posted soon after Sunday’s races.
R’Irish!
The team came to MACRAs with a determination to finish on a strong note before several weeks of training for ACRAs. Our entries consisted of the Varsity 8+, two Varsity 4s, and two Novice 8s.
Under a fierce headwind and choppy water, the Varsity 4A started off the day of racing. In their heat, the varsity 4A pulled away from the field and didn’t look back, finishing in 1st place by open water. They finished with a time of 7:49.4 to advance to the grand final.
Up next was the Varisty 4B. In their heat, the varsity 4B got into a battle with Wheaton. After establishing an effective rhythm, the varisty 4B was able to overcome Wheaton by 0.7 seconds. They finished in 3rd place to advance to the petite final, posting a time of 7:58.3.
The Novice 8A was next to take the water. Facing the same headwind and choppy water, the 1N was forced to lower their rate a few beats in order to keep a solid ratio. They found open water quickly and finished in 1st place with a time of 7:17.8, 17 seconds ahead of the next boat.
In the very next race, the Novice 8B faced off with two Michigan boats, Minnesota, and Miami. After a fantastic start, the 2N’s race was called back due to a collision between two other boats. This ultimately hurt the 2N, as the second start did not have the rhythm of the first. After a close race with Michigan’s 3N, the novice 8B came in 4th with a time of 7:55.8 to advance to the petite finals. Due to continuous delays throughout the day, the petite final was ultimately cancelled.
The Varsity 8+ was last to compete in their heat. The V8+ stayed with Mercyhurst through the early stages of the race, and ultimately fell to them by about a boat length. Their time of 7:08.6 earned them 2nd place and a spot in the grand final.
In the afternoon, the Varsity 4B returned to the water to compete in the petite final.
They finished in 3rd place with a time of 7:51.5, a 7 second improvement from their heat earlier that day. The Varsity 4A, competing in the grand final, had a great race to finish in 2nd behind Michigan A, while beating Michigan State and Michigan B. The varisty 4A, only 3.6 seconds off the winning time, were glad to bring home some hardware.
The Novice 8A’s grand final immediately became a three boat race for first with Mercyhurst and Michigan. After a move at the 1000-meter mark, the 1N led Michigan by a seat and was on Mercyhurst’s stern. However, they were unable to maintain a solid ratio, and finished in third place with a time of 6:53.5 to take home the bronze.
The final race of the day was the Varsity 8’s grand final. In a race featuring many solid crews, the varsity 8 cut over 10 seconds off their heat and beat Mercyhurst, after falling to them in their heat earlier in the day. They finished in 4th place with a time of 6:56.
MACRAs provided our team with great race experience in less than ideal conditions. Two of our boats were able to bring home some hardware, and all boats now know what they need to accomplish in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to some productive training as we head towards ACRAs.
The team traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee this past weekend to compete in the SIRA Championships. Our entries consisted of a Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+, Novice 8+, and Novice 4+.
After a two-hour fog delay Saturday morning, the Novice 4+ started things off by placing 2nd in their heat behind Central Florida. They finished with a time of 7:33.8 to advance to the semifinals. In their race that afternoon, the novice 4 established a solid rhythm and shaved 16 seconds off their heat time. They finished with a time of 7:17 to come in 2nd and advance to the grand final.
The Novice 8+ took to the water for their heat with high expectations. From start to finish, the novice 8 were on the heels of Virginia, eventually coming in second by 0.6 seconds with a time of 6:20.4. In their semifinal, the novice 8 stayed with Temple and UNC before settling for third to advance to the grand final. They were able to improve their time from earlier that morning by 3.4 seconds, posting a 6:17.0.
The Varsity 4+ started their weekend off by rowing cleanly and with great timing to place 1st their heat. They held off the next closest boat, Florida State, by a comfortable 7.4 seconds, posting a time of 7:05.5. The varsity 4 replicated this strong performance in their Saturday afternoon semifinal. After battling much of the way with Rollins, the varsity 4 produced another 1st place finish with an improved time of 7:00.4.
Finishing off our Saturday morning and afternoon was the Varsity 8+. In their heat, the varsity 8 stayed with Delaware for the majority of the race, finishing with a time of 6:03.3 to come in 2nd place and advance to the semifinals. In their late afternoon semifinal, the varsity 8 ran into some stiff competition, coming in 5th place after posting a time of 6:14.1 and advancing to the B final.
After a night of rest, the team returned on Sunday morning to continue a solid weekend of rowing. There was once again a two-hour fog delay, with the races eventually starting with heavy fog still on the water.
The varsity 4 was the first of three Notre Dame boats to compete in their respective grand final. In a race that saw 1st through 5th decided by less than 5 seconds, the varsity 4 and Temple were involved in a photo finish for 2nd and 3rd. After review, it was determined varsity 4 fell to Temple by 0.016 seconds, posting a time of 6:36.3. Although this extremely close finish did not end up favoring the varsity 4, they had a great weekend of racing and consistently improved in each race.
The Novice 8 was next to compete in their grand final. They raced tight with Purdue the entire race, both boats vying for the 3rd place spot behind Virginia and Temple. The novice 8 edged out Purdue by 0.3 seconds to take 3rd with an improved time of 6:05.7. Although competing for the gold, the novice 8 was happy to take the bronze and beat Purdue after falling to them last weekend at Lubber’s Cup.
The novice 4 was next to take the water. After establishing a solid ratio, the novice 4 got into a duel with Emory for 3rd place. They finished them off in the final 500 meters to take home the bronze with a time of 7:00.3. Their time was 17 seconds faster than their best time from the previous day. The novice 4 made great strides with each race they competed in, and came together as a boat whose line up was only days old.
Our final race of the weekend was the varsity 8 in the B final. With calm conditions, their race saw five boats go under 6 minutes. The varsity 8 came in 5th finishing with a 5:57.4, less than two seconds off Marietta and Cincinnati. Although expectations were higher, it was great to see the varsity 8 go sub 6 minutes with a line up that was missing 2 of its usual members.
Our weekend at SIRAs saw a great improvement from Lubber’s Cup, with three boats competing in the grand finals and all three making the podium. We hope to carry this momentum throughout this week’s practices as we prepare for MACRAs this upcoming weekend.
The team traveled up to Spring Lake, Michigan this past Saturday and Sunday looking to get back into race action after a solid period of training since the Marietta duel and the San Diego Crew Classic.
The Varsity 8+ kicked off the weekend of racing early Saturday morning, lining up against Purdue and Cincinnati in a robust tailwind and chop. The Varsity 8 stuck with Purdue off the start, but could not cement an effective rhythm in the rough water, mounting a number of pushes to regain some swing, but ultimately falling to both their opponents by about five seconds and posting a time of 5:57.
The Novice 8+ was next up and eager to capitalize on a couple solid weeks of training since a very productive San Diego regatta. In a race that would later be protested and re-rowed, the novice were down early off the start due to a starter’s error, but fought back well to fall by only a length to Purdue’s A boat and defeated their B boat.
An energized JV 8+ took the water next against Purdue’s JV and lightweight eights, and Cincinnati’s JV. The JV worked well through the first 1000 meters staying right in the race with Purdue’s boats and distancing themselves from UC, but was unable to maintain their strong starting rhythm in the second half, finishing in a time of 6:11, about 12 seconds off of Purdue’s quick lightweight eight, and only a length back from their JV.
The novice fours would cap off the morning, each competing against an Illinois four. The A four raced well but yielded a 7.9 second margin to their opponents while posting a time of 6:56 and the B four defeated their Illinois counterparts by a large 10.4 second margin on the way to finishing in 7:44. After a very short turnaround, both boats were back out on the water, each against Michigan fours. Despite racing on tired legs, the novice did well to stay consistent, finishing in 6:58 and 7:56 respectively, unfortunately falling in each contest to Michigan.
In the afternoon, the novice took the water against Michigan’s A and B novice eights, defeating both with clean rowing and strong rhythm, posting a time of 6:02, defeating Michigan’s crews by 9 and 25 seconds respectively. As a result of the morning’s protest, the novice got another shot at Purdue, closing the gap to only 2 seconds after a very close race, and sitting second in the Novice 8+ standings at the conclusion of Saturday’s racing.
The JV returned to the course later in the afternoon against Michigan’s 2V, 3V and 4V, improving on the morning race to go down the course in 6:10 to finish third. After discussing technical improvements and taking a longer warmup in the afternoon, the V8+ raced with more composure in the afternoon in their duel against Michigan, maintaining a tight margin through the early stages of the race that ultimately lengthened to an 11 second deficit.
After a long day of racing Saturday, the Irish crews returned to Spring Lake Sunday morning for one more race apiece. The JV raced first, coming in second to Grand Valley while defeating Cincinnati on the way to a 6:31 finish. The Novice Fours were next. The A four raced Grand Valley and Cincinnati’s A boats, coming in third and close on GVSU’s heels. The B four raced GVSU and UC’s B fours to a hard fought third place finish. In their fourth and final race of the weekend, the novice 8 ran away from both MSU and Illinois for a big win in 6:22 in tough conditions. Finally, to cap off racing, the Varsity 8+ lined up against Grand Valley and Cincinnati. The Varsity struggled to contend with a heavy crosswind but was still able to defeat UC after falling to them the previous day, but fell to GVSU after posting a time of 6:01.
In the overall standings, the Irish finished 5th, with the Novice 8+ turning in an impressive second place overall finish. While the team had hoped for better results across the board, each crew left Spring Lake with valuable lessons learned and much to work on and drive them.
The schedule for Lubbers Cup this weekend has been released! We will see great competition in every event we have entered.
The Notre Dame Men have entered:
The schedule can be found HERE
Our team arrived in sunny San Diego on Thursday with high hopes for the weekend. We stayed with multiple host families for the duration of our time there. The host families provided our entire team with beds, food and hospitality that we are extremely grateful for.
We were able to hold two practices Thursday and Friday, both consisting of short steady states with high 10s at race pace. Conditions Saturday morning were less than ideal, with a noticeable starboard crosswind and slightly choppy water.
The Varsity 8+ started things off, racing UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UCLA, Puget Sound, and Lewis & Clark. The varsity 8 battled with UCSB and UCSD the majority of the race for the top three spots. They put up a time of 6:22.3 to finish 3rd in their heat to advance to the petite final. Their time was the 3rd overall fastest time across all the heats.
The Novice 8+ raced later in the morning, facing off with Cal, UC Irvine, Long Beach, and Sac State. In the first thousand meters, the novice 8 and UC Irvine were bow bell to bow bell, battling for second place. Then, after holding off a move from Irvine, the novice 8 countered with a move of their own, moving to a boat length ahead and never looking back. They finished in 2nd behind Cal with a time of 6:55.23 to advance to the grand final.
Our alumni boat had a rather interesting race on Saturday. During the warm-up the stroke rigger broke, and with only 10 minutes until race time, the alumni were forced to row with only 7 men. Impressively, they were still able to come in 2nd place with a time of 7:13.85, advancing to the grand final.
On Sunday the conditions were much better, with hardly any wind and calm waters.
The Novice 8+ were the first to compete, racing in the grand final with California, OCC, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Clara, and UCLA. Finishing in 5th, the novice 8 gained valuable experience racing against the best crews on the west coast. They posted a time of 6:38.81, taking almost 17 seconds off Saturday’s race.
The Varsity 8+ competed in the petite final with Purdue, SDSU, UC Davis, USC, and UCLA. The varsity 8 raced with a chip on their shoulder, knowing their initial heat time was better than the majority of the field in the grand final. They led the race from start to finish, and held off a late charge by Purdue to win the petite final. The varsity 8 finished with a time of 6:29.17.
The Alumni boat were the last Notre Dame boat to compete, placing 4th in the grand final with a time of 6:40.71.
Competing in the San Diego Crew Classic proved to be a great start to the season for the Men’s Rowing Club. Both the Novice 8+ and Varsity 8+ now know what they need to work on heading into Lubber’s Cup two weeks from now. We are excited to continue improving and turn our San Diego experience into success later in the season.
Our schedule for the San Diego Crew Classic this weekend has been announced. The cool part about the San Diego race is that all races are followed by a camera and can be watched live online! We have three Notre Dame boats entered this weekend and their heats are the following times:
The schedule and the LIVE STREAM can be found at http://www.crewclassic.org
Keep an eye on the website Saturday night for updates on how we did and if we will be racing in the finals on Sunday.
R'Irish
