In a thrilling showdown at Nathan Benderson Park, the No. 1-ranked Washington men's rowing team pulled off a stunning comeback to clinch their third consecutive Benderson Cup. Facing off against a field packed with top-10 programs, Washington tied with No. 2 Harvard on points but secured the trophy thanks to their varsity eight victory.
Saturday's races were a showcase of elite rowing talent, with teams competing in first through fourth varsity eights, earning points in the top-three categories. Washington claimed victories in the first and fourth varsity eights, while Harvard edged them out in the second and third races.
On Friday, Washington's varsity crew had already laid down a marker, beating Harvard by about a half-length, maintaining the lead throughout. But Saturday brought a different challenge. Harvard jumped to an early lead in the six-boat race, with Washington trailing for much of the contest.
At the halfway mark, Harvard was ahead by seven-tenths of a second, maintaining a deck-length lead through the third 500 meters. Yet, the defending national champion Huskies, who had narrowly defeated the Crimson in last year's IRA grand final, found another gear.
They surged past Harvard in the final stretch, clocking in at 5:45.02, a little over 1.5 seconds ahead of Harvard's 5:46.59. Brown, Stanford, Northeastern, and Yale followed in succession.
This nail-biting finish left both UW and Harvard with 33 points in the Benderson Cup standings. However, Washington's varsity eight triumph ensured the trophy stayed with them for another year.
Reflecting on the weekend's intense competition, UW head coach Michael Callahan remarked, "We always find it valuable to test our speed this early in the season. The competition was excellent and exactly what we were looking for. We learned a lot of lessons about ourselves and are looking forward to getting back to work Monday at Conibear."
The second varsity eight race was another closely contested battle. All six crews were neck-and-neck off the starting line, but Harvard took the first lead, with Washington in pursuit.
At the halfway point, Harvard had stretched their lead to 1.9 seconds. Despite a late push from Washington, Harvard held on to win by a fraction of a second, finishing in 5:45.01 against Washington's 5:45.40, with Brown taking third.
In the third varsity eight final, Washington sought redemption after a Friday defeat to Harvard. The Huskies led early, maintaining a half-second advantage at the halfway mark.
However, Harvard surged ahead in the third 500 meters, ultimately winning in 5:57.94, with Washington finishing second in 6:01.65. Northeastern, Brown, Stanford, and Yale rounded out the field.
The fourth varsity eight race saw UW's fourth and fifth crews compete against Harvard and Brown's fourth eights. Washington's 4V8+ took the win decisively, finishing with open water over Harvard in 6:15.37, with Harvard trailing at 6:20.68, followed by Brown and Washington's 5V8+.
Looking ahead, UW will host the Husky Open on Montlake Cut next weekend before heading to Vancouver Lake for a dual regatta against Oregon State on April 11.
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
Varsity Eight
- Coxswain: Nikita Jacobs
- Stroke: Ryan Smith
- 7: Klas Ole Lass
- 6: Giuseppe Bellomo
- 5: Sam Ford
- 4: Cameron Tasker
- 3: Lucas Andersen
- 2: Ben Shortt
- Bow: Lyle Donovan
Second Varsity Eight
- Coxswain: Anjali Pamurthy
- Stroke: Ryan Martin
- 7: Ethan Walsh
- 6: Rory McDonnell
- 5: Povilas Juskevicius
- 4: Devan Godfrey
- 3: Marley King Smith
- 2: Oliver Leach
- Bow: Hector Guimet
Third Varsity Eight
- Coxswain: Connor Eacker
- Stroke: Marc Tennesen
- 7: Finn Griskauskas
- 6: Zach Brownlee
- 5: Byron Richards
- 4: Jed Grieve
- 3: Luke Collins
- 2: Ewan Morrow
- Bow: Matteo Belgeri
Fourth Varsity Eight
- Coxswain: Victor Bocquet
- Stroke: Tobias Bosnes
- 7: Colin Phariss
- 6: Dimitri Chamitoff
- 5: Kiefer Law
- 4: Boden Chapek
- 3: Lazlo Davis-Rubin
- 2: Callan Ogilvie
- Bow: Jerry Anderson
Fifth Varsity Eight
- Coxswain: Avery Lowe
- Stroke: Monte Wood
- 7: Thomas Fiorito
- 6: Billy Osborne
- 5: Dylan West
- 4: Will Singleton
- 3: Crosby LaMotte
- 2: Colin Seng
- Bow: Galen Hardy