The men's and women's crew teams posted strong results against elite international competition over the weekend. The varsity eights closed out the competition on Sunday in the Championship Eights division, as the men took fifth and the women placed eighth.
The men got off to a searing start, posting 3:21.8 to lead at the first checkpoint, before finishing fifth in a time of 14:49.4, just four seconds out of second place. Tideway Scullers, an elite British club, ran away with the title, followed by California, Washington and the USRowing Training Center. Elite German, French and British crews finished just behind the Bears in slots six through eight.
Two more Bruno boats placed in the top 14. The second varsity eight placed 13th in a time of a 15:15.5, only five seconds behind Yale's top boat, while a Brown alumni boat followed just behind at 15:18.9.
On Saturday, the men's freshmen eight placed fifth in the Club Eights division with a time of 15:42.9, sandwiched between two Harvard boats. Yale took the gold, followed by the BMA Boat Club and Boston University.
The women's varsity eight began the fall schedule on Sunday by placing eighth in a time of 17:00.9. ASR Nereus, an elite Dutch club, pulled away to an easy win, followed by USRowing Training Center, Yale and the Nautilus Rowing Club. Bruno finished less than 1.5 seconds behind fifth-place Washington, which was closely followed by Princeton and Virginia. The Bears beat out such college crews as Stanford, Michigan and Harvard.
Earlier in the day, Brown posted a strong result in the Championship Fours division, finishing fourth in a time of 19:19.5. Old Glory Boat Club, a collection of U.S. national team rowers, blew away the rest of the field, trailed by Boston University and Cornell. The Bears edged Virginia and Yale.
The men will conclude the fall season Nov. 21 at the Foot of the Charles, while the women will compete in the Princeton Chase on Sunday.
— Sports staff reports
