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Men's Rowing

Men's Rowing Set to Compete in IRA National Championships

Toreros completed competition in Western Sprints on May 13

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — San Diego men's rowing, fresh off its 4th-place finish at its conference championships (Western Sprints) two weekends ago, will compete this coming weekend at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships on Mercer Lake in New Jersey. The Toreros are entered in the Varsity Four event.

"We were seeded 4th and finished 4th at the Western Sprints," said head coach Bart Thompson. "The guys raced well, but we're still building to the level of having enough speed to win the championship. While we were disappointed not to qualify in the Varsity Eight category, we feel fortunate to have the opportunity to still compete in the Varsity Four."

The Varsity Four event is the largest event of the entire regatta, with 32 entries. It begins with a time trial on Friday morning. That time trial will determine where the crew will be seeded for that afternoon's semifinals. Then, on Saturday, the crew will compete in the finals.

"Friday's time trial is crucial. If you finish in the Top 18, you make the ABC Semifinals. 19 through 32 go into the DEF Semifinals," Thompson explained. "No matter where we finish, we know that—at the national championships and with a field this deep—the finals at the end of the weekend will come down to fractions of splits."

The crew will be made up of Derek Hissong, Sam Pigott, Jacob Corfey, Gavin McLaren, and Conor Fox. For all of the group except McLaren it will mark their first time racing at the national championships.

"I'm excited for these guys. They've worked to balance championship season training with final exams season, and we are looking forward to seeing where that training puts them in the pack. Going to a regatta of this magnitude is a special experience."

A livestream of the racing can be found on the IRA's YouTube channel, while race results can be located on Regatta Timing's website.
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Players Mentioned

Jacob Corfey

Jacob Corfey

6' 3"
Sophomore
Derek Hissong

Derek Hissong

6' 1"
Sophomore
Gavin McLaren

Gavin McLaren

5' 11"
Junior
Conor Fox

Conor Fox

COX
5' 7"
Freshman
Sam Pigott

Sam Pigott

6' 2"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Jacob Corfey

Jacob Corfey

6' 3"
Sophomore
Derek Hissong

Derek Hissong

6' 1"
Sophomore
Gavin McLaren

Gavin McLaren

5' 11"
Junior
Conor Fox

Conor Fox

5' 7"
Freshman
COX
Sam Pigott

Sam Pigott

6' 2"
Sophomore