CAMDEN, N.J. — San Diego men's rowing traveled to the Cooper River for the Dad Vail Regatta on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, earning podium finishes in two of three events across one of the premier small college rowing championships in the country.

"I am incredibly proud of the resilience this group displayed at the Dad Vail Regatta," said co-interim head coach Costas Ciungan. "Our journey this weekend—from the uncertainty of the time trials to making the most of a second chance in the semi-finals—showed a team that refuses to quit. Every one of our athletes fought to leave everything they had on the water."

The novice four, coxed by Shayna Blumenfeld and stroked by Charlie Vedder, turned in the weekend's signature performance. The crew posted the fastest time trial in the field on Friday morning, winning in 6:32.181 to earn a top seed heading into Saturday. In the semifinal, San Diego again led the heat, winning in 6:57.320 ahead of Drexel, Stetson and Colorado. The Toreros carried that momentum into Saturday's Lindy Cup grand final — the championship race for the event — where the crew earned a silver medal, finishing second in 6:58.370, just 2.96 seconds behind winner Temple (6:55.410) and ahead of Drexel (7:00.300).
 

The second varsity eight, coxed by Nick Lee and stroked by Colin Mulkerrins, also had a strong weekend. After placing eighth in Friday's time trial in 5:48.635, the crew finished fourth in the afternoon semifinal in 6:05.360, placing them in Saturday's Final 2. There, the Toreros made the most of the opportunity, winning the event outright in 6:04.260, edging MIT (6:04.940) by less than a second to take first place.
 

The first varsity eight, coxed by Jonah McDonnell and stroked by Jadyn Conover, faced a highly competitive field throughout the weekend. After placing sixth in Friday's semifinal in 5:53.650 — a heat that included Dad Vail contenders Temple, MIT, Colgate and Marist — the Toreros advanced to Saturday's petite final, the second-tier championship race. San Diego finished third in 5:55.480, behind St. Joseph's (5:50.500) and Santa Clara (5:52.310), in a competitive race that showcased the depth of the field the 1V8 was competing against throughout the regatta.

UP NEXT
"We are now excited to shift our focus as we send our top 4+ to represent our program on the national stage at the IRA Championships," said Ciungan.

The IRA National Championships will take place from Friday through Sunday, May 29-31 on Sacramento's Lake Natoma. 
 

RESULTS

Friday — Time Trials Novice 4+: 1st: San Diego (6:32.181), 2nd: Temple (6:35.215), 3rd: Lafayette (6:39.807), 4th: Drexel (6:43.017) Second Varsity 8+: 1st: Drexel (5:30.719), 2nd: Temple (5:32.153), 3rd: La Salle (5:37.377), 4th: Santa Clara (5:40.383), 5th: Gonzaga (5:44.307), 6th: Marist (5:44.939), 7th: St. Joseph's (5:45.301), 8th: San Diego (5:48.635)

Friday — Semifinals First Varsity 8+: 1st: Temple (5:38.940), 2nd: MIT (5:41.780), 3rd: Colgate (5:42.740), 4th: Marist (5:44.030), 5th: Santa Clara (5:47.600), 6th: San Diego (5:53.650) Second Varsity 8+: 1st: Drexel (5:45.410), 2nd: Santa Clara (5:56.900), 3rd: Gonzaga (6:02.760), 4th: San Diego (6:05.360), 5th: Fairfield (6:07.640), 6th: Embry-Riddle (6:09.750) Novice 4+: 1st: San Diego (6:57.320), 2nd: Drexel (7:13.710), 3rd: Stetson (7:16.420), 4th: Colorado (7:32.200)

Saturday — Finals First Varsity 8+ — Petite Final (2nd-tier championship): 1st: St. Joseph's (5:50.500), 2nd: Santa Clara (5:52.310), 3rd: San Diego (5:55.480), 4th: Marist (5:56.170), 5th: Loyola MD (5:59.520), 6th: Jacksonville (5:59.630)

Second Varsity 8+ — Final 2 (3rd-tier final): 1st: San Diego (6:04.260), 2nd: MIT (6:04.940), 3rd: St. Joseph's (6:07.100), 4th: Fairfield (6:08.710), 5th: Marietta (6:09.380), 6th: Embry-Riddle (6:11.470)

Novice 4+ — Lindy Cup Grand Final (championship): 1st: Temple (6:55.410), 2nd: San Diego (6:58.370), 3rd: Drexel (7:00.300), 4th: Lafayette (7:08.030), 5th: Rollins (7:19.360), 6th: Stetson (7:20.800)

LINEUPS

First Varsity 8+: Cox — Jonah McDonnell; Stroke — Jadyn Conover; 7 — Joe Tortella; 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 — Ethan Provost; 3 — Elliot Caron; 2 — Owen Park; Bow — Jack Conley

Novice 4+: Cox — Shayna Blumenfeld; Stroke — Charlie Vedder; 3 — James Barber; 2 — Anthony Bertucci; Bow — Tommy Vidon