SACRAMENTO, Calif. — San Diego men's rowing traveled to Lake Natoma on Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26, to compete in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, fielding four boats against some of the top programs on the West Coast and claiming multiple podium finishes.

"While the results in some of today's races were not what we wanted, this group understands the importance of the racing in front of them and has shown resolve all season," said co-interim head coach Jack Newell. "We are confident in their ability to bounce back going forwad."
 

The second varsity eight, coxed by Nick Lee and stroked by Colin Mulkerrins, was the standout boat of the weekend. The crew won its Saturday heat in 6:07.515, edging Gonzaga (6:08.73) to advance to Sunday's grand final. In the final, the Toreros pushed Santa Clara to the limit in a photo finish, clocking a 6:03.728 to fall just 0.585 seconds short of gold and earn a silver medal.
 

The novice eight brought home a bronze medal with a time of 6:17.998, maintaining a comfortable lead over the rest of the field to secure a podium finish. The crew found it difficult to close the distance on a fast UCLA crew (6:15.16) and the eventual winners from Orange Coast College (6:07.639), but the result represented a solid effort from the younger group. The novice eight had qualified for the grand final by placing second in its Saturday heat in 6:28.948, behind UCLA (6:24.25).
 

The first varsity eight, coxed by Jonah McDonnell and stroked by Jadyn Conover, placed second in its Saturday heat in 6:00.37, behind Orange Coast College (5:55.513), to advance to Sunday's grand final. In the final, the crew struggled to find its rhythm in the middle stages of the race, finishing fifth in 6:00.506 — several seconds off the pace needed to challenge fourth-place UCLA (5:58.842) or the podium finishers led by Santa Clara (5:53.135).
 

The first varsity four, coxed by Conor Fox and stroked by Kacen Hamada, placed fourth in its Saturday heat in 7:28.036, advancing to Sunday's petite final. There, the crew finished fourth in 7:06.738 in a desperate sprint for the podium, narrowly edged out by Western Washington (7:05.633) and UCLA (7:06.606) in a race won by Santa Clara (7:01.907).
 

The third varsity eight, coxed by Shayna Blumenfeld and stroked by Ethan Provost, also competed at the championships.
 

San Diego next competes at the Dad Vail Regatta in Camden, N.J., on May 8-9.

RESULTS

Saturday — Heats First
Varsity 8+: 1st: Orange Coast College (5:55.513), 2nd: San Diego (6:00.37)
Second Varsity 8+: 1st: San Diego (6:07.515), 2nd: Gonzaga (6:08.73)
First Varsity 4+: 1st: Oregon (7:10.662), 2nd: LMU (7:13.266), 3rd: Santa Clara (7:18.566), 4th: San Diego (7:28.036)
Novice 8+: 1st: UCLA (6:24.25), 2nd: San Diego (6:28.948)

Sunday — Finals

First Varsity 8+ — Grand Final: 1st: Santa Clara (5:53.135), 2nd: Gonzaga (5:54.513), 3rd: Orange Coast College (5:57.342), 4th: UCLA (5:58.842), 5th: San Diego (6:00.506), 6th: Washington State (6:08.759)

Second Varsity 8+ — Grand Final: 1st: Santa Clara (6:03.143), 2nd: San Diego (6:03.728), 3rd: Gonzaga (6:07.575), 4th: Orange Coast College (6:11.458), 5th: Santa Clara B (6:14.553), 6th: UCLA (6:15.008)

Novice 8+ — Grand Final: 1st: Orange Coast College (6:07.639), 2nd: UCLA (6:15.16), 3rd: San Diego (6:17.998), 4th: Washington State (6:23.472), 5th: UC Davis (6:32.563), 6th: Long Beach State (6:36.769)

First Varsity 4+ — Petite Final: 1st: Santa Clara (7:01.907), 2nd: Western Washington (7:05.633), 3rd: UCLA (7:06.606), 4th: San Diego (7:06.738), 5th: Cal Poly Humboldt (7:17.7)

LINEUPS

First Varsity 8+: Cox — Jonah McDonnell; Stroke — Jadyn Conover; 7 — Jack Conley; 6 — Rex Bales; 5 — Jack Roach; 4 — Dawson Hein; 3 — Henry Michaud; 2 — Matvey Gorshkov-Paleev; Bow — Gable Krich

Second Varsity 8+: Cox — Nick Lee; Stroke — Colin Mulkerrins; 7 — Austin Baber; 6 — Warren Roach; 5 — Nate Cohen; 4 — Anthony Bertucci; 3 — Elliot Caron; 2 — Owen Park; Bow — Joe Tortella

Third Varsity 8+: Cox — Shayna Blumenfeld; Stroke — Ethan Provost; 7 — Henry DeLuca; 6 — Lucas Acosta; 5 — James Barber; 4 — Anthony Bertucci; 3 — Diego Sanchez; 2 — Charlie Vedder; Bow — Tommy Vidon

First Varsity 4+: Cox — Conor Fox; Stroke — Kacen Hamada; 3 — Jet Himmelberg; 2 — Rowan Haney; Bow — Cooper Cross