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Plebes Sweep Gold Medals at Eastern Sprints Varsity gaines speed for IRA's but not enough
The Plebe Lightweights were awarded the Gary Fitzpatrick Cup for winning the First Freshmen race at the Eastern Sprints. It was the first time the plebe lights won the 1F race since 1980 and only the second time ever. The second plebe boat also won their event, marking the only time in Navy history that both plebe boats came home with a gold medal.
The 1F grand final was very exciting, having Princeton, Yale and Navy virtually even coming into the second 1000 meters. The lead was exchanged a few times before Navy decided to make a huge push for the last 500 meters. The strong move helped Navy inch away from the other two boats and break the race into an open-water victory for the Midshipmen. The rowers from cox to bow were: Mike Harris, Pat Gillen, James Smith, Jay Michel, Jim Hinds, John Stockton, Ben Kezar, Eric Wilson, and Tim O'Keefe.
The Navy 2F marked their distinction much earlier in their race, taking the lead off the line and never looking back. By the finish, they had gained a 10-second victory over second-place Cornell. The 2F rowers from cox to bow were: Aaron Heil, Ross Penrod, Evan McNeer, Tristan Gerritsen, Anthony DeVuono, Bobby Wayland, Steve Funni, Bob Bennett, and Matt Lampert.
The Navy second varsity also had a great race at the sprints, winning the bronze medal behind Princeton and Yale. The varsity did not fare as well, getting nudged out of the final during the heats by Dartmouth. For their efforts, Navy placed third in the Jope Cup team trophy behind Princeton and Yale.
The Varsity came back strong for the IRA Championships only to have a very tough heat. While Harvard and Georgetown led the way in the heat, Princeton and Navy fought it out for the third and final remaining spot. Navy had a great sprint but fell short of the Sprints-winning Princeton boat. In the Petite Final, Navy was matched up against Yale and Dartmouth once again, but this time they were ready. At the halfway mark, Navy had two seats on Yale and four seats on Dartmouth when they unleashed a strong move to gain open-water in the last 500 meters. Even though they were not in the grand final, it was a great way to end a strong season for the whole Navy program.
Eastern Sprints Results
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