WEST WINDSOR, NJ (June 1, 2024) – The Tufts University Men's Rowing Team tied for second place out of the eight teams at the 2024 Division III Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships Saturday on Mercer Lake. The Jumbos won the IRA Division III second varsity eight race today.
In the first varsity eight, which determines the DIII national champion, Tufts placed third. For the Team Points Trophy, determined by the combined results of the first and second varsities, Tufts finished in a three-way tie with Wesleyan University and Williams College, all with 48 points. Wesleyan as the first varsity champion earns the team title on a tie-breaker, while Tufts and Williams tie for second place.
The IRA DIII second varsity contest saw Tufts take off and win with a 5:55.100 time, ahead of second-place Trinity College's 5:57.414 mark and Williams at 5:57.944. The Jumbos built their lead throughout the race. At 1000 meters they were a second in front of Williams, then at the 1500-meter mark they were almost a length ahead of the Ephs. Trinity would surge past Williams to take second place while Tufts maintained its comfortable margin of victory.
Tufts' 2V8 line-up was coxswain
Jamie Forman,
Nick Kuranda,
JT Machle,
Mark Machle,
Gonzalo Escajadillo,
Xander Mesires,
Ryan Hankins,
Corbin Steck and
Miles Smith.
The Jumbos 1V8 came on strong late, with their third-place finish helping Tufts in the Points Trophy. They were fourth for the first 1000 meters of the race, then pulled even with Trinity College through 1500 meters. The Jumbos then passed the Bantams over the final 500 meters to take third with a 5:46.580 time to 5:47.557 for Trinity.
The Jumbos' 1V8 had coxswain
Aidan Keusch,
Peter Conard,
Maxwell Rosenberger,
Liam Jenkins,
Max Landers,
Patrick Moran,
Max Nusbaum,
John Griffin and
Peter McCormick.
Wesleyan won the IRA DIII National Championship with its 5:41.530 time to win the first varsity eight, edging Williams (5:41.737) by a narrow margin.
The Jumbos' second varsity win and the team tying for second are the best finishes for Tufts in those categories of their three IRA Championship appearances. The 1V8's third today is Tufts' second Top 3 finish at IRA's including their runner-up finish in 2022.
Today caps a good season for the Jumbo men's program. Tufts had finished their fall campaign with the first varsity's win in the Collegiate Eights event out of 42 teams at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta. Tufts then won the Points Trophy at the New England Rowing Championships (NERC), and were second at the National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC). The second varsity won NERC and NIRC titles.
--JUMBOS--
