After spending most of the season racing every weekend, the UCSD men’s crew team finally had a weekend without an official race, having endured their last race of the regular season, the Newport Invitational and the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships on April 30 and May 1 at Lake Natoma, Calif. But the team did not let the break in its schedule end the trend of top finishes, coming in second in the field of 20 teams at the WIRA Championship.
The men’s second novice-eight boat set the tone during UCSD’s first championship race on May 1. The team finished third in the Men’s Second Novice Eight Final in 6 minutes, 50.6 seconds, while Orange Coast College and UC Davis finished first and second in 6:30.9 and 6:31.8, respectively.
During the second race of the day for the Tritons, the men’s novice-eight boat had an outstanding finish. The team finished second behind Orange Coast College, who has a reputation for being an elite team that feeds rowers to powerhouses including UC Berkeley. The Tritons clocked in at 6:10.8, just after Orange County College’s 6:09.8. Sonoma State, Washington State and UC Davis rounded out the top five.
The junior varsity-eight continued the Tritons’ success during the Men’s Second Varsity Eight Final, finishing in second place with a time of 6:16.8, while the Aggies clocked in slightly ahead at 6:14.1. The Gonzaga Bulldogs finished third, clocking in at 6:18.6.
The men’s varsity-eight boat finished off the day for the Tritons. After the final race, the team finished second in its heats on April 30. The team clocked in third in the final race, at 6:06.6. UC Davis and University of Colorado finished in first and second with times of 6:02.7 and 6:04.6, respectively.
All-WIRA teams were selected to honor the best rowers in the association. Sophomores Brendan Carriker and Jacob Sendowski and senior Steven Oliver were selected for the All-WIRA First Team. Senior Andres Onetto was also given recognition with an honorable mention.
The novice-eight and varsity-eight’s terific season earned them a spot to race in the National Invitational Collegiate Regatta in Worcester, Mass. The race, held on May 8, featured some of the best teams in the nation.
UCSD participated in the first race of the day at 7:30 a.m. The men’s varsity-eight finished in fourth as its boat clocked in at 6:07.3. University of Virginia finished in first and broke the six-minute mark, with a time of 5:59.4. Even though the Tritons finished in fourth, they would still get a chance to race in the afternoon semifinal.
At 9:30 a.m., the novice-eight boat raced in its first heat. The top two finishers of the six participating teams would qualify for the grand final in the afternoon. Advancing to the grand final would most likely give UCSD the chance for a rematch against Orange Coast College.
“We have a really good chance at beating OCC,” junior Ryan Tool said. “Every time we race them we finish closer and closer to them.”
The novice-eight boat proved they deserved the chance for a rematch during the first heat. The team clocked in at 6:15.3, just slightly behind the top-ranked team, University of Virginia, which finished the race at 6:12.1.
“After working really hard at practice this last week, we did not only really deserve a chance for a rematch against OCC, but also a medal at nationals,” Tool said.
Two races later, UCSD indeed was given the shot to overcome the one-second difference that separated them from Orange Coast College at the WIRA Championships. Orange Coast College came in second place during their heat with a time of 6:07.9, and was awarded a trip to the grand final.
While members of the UCSD novice team was pulling their boat from the racks and preparing for the final race, they were informed of unfortunate news by their coach, who announced that the race was canceled due to strong winds. The varsity team also found out that their semifinal race was canceled due to adverse weather conditions.
“We were all really disappointed,” Tool said. “Not only did we have the chance to race against some great East Coast schools like Trinity, but we were also going to have the opportunity to finally beat OCC.”
As the strong winds blew through Worcester, the UCSD men’s crew season came to a sudden close. Although they will never know their true place among the nation’s elite teams, the Tritons were still able to prove they could race with the best.
“The trip across the country was definitely worth it,” Tool said. “We showed that we can beat some of the top-ranked schools.”
Even though the season has just ended and the team members will not race again until next season, it has not stopped them from making future goals.
“There is only one goal that we probably have in our minds right now for next season,” Tool said. “And that is to actually get the boat completely in the water for the grand final.”
