GOLD RIVER, Calif. — The Santa Clara men's rowing Varsity 8 boat is in a class of its own after winning the first WIRA Championship in program history Sunday at Lake Natoma. The Broncos edged UC Santa Barbara by half a second in their gold medal performance.
"This afternoon was a historic moment for men's rowing at SCU," head coach Jay Farwell said. "Needless to say, I am very proud of this group and their effort today against a very fast and talented UCSB crew."
Due to high winds on Saturday afternoon, Varsity 8 heats were moved to Sunday morning, making a one-day event at WIRAs. The Broncos distanced themselves from UC Davis by 7.1 seconds with a 5:58.2 to win their heat, and posted the second-best heat time overall. In the grand final, they crossed the finish line in 5:56.5.
"These guys really stepped up today and put together a very solid effort," Farwell said. "We had the No. 1 seed coming into the event and there were a number of crews gunning for us; it is a testament to our crew that they performed as well as they did."
Varsity 8 Lineup
Grace Anne D'Amico (Cox)
Patrick Doyle
The Broncos also brought home a pair of silver medals from the Novice 8 and Novice 4 boats. The Second Varsity 8 came in fourth place.
Santa Clara heads back to Lake Natoma for the Western Sprints May 14. The Broncos will look to qualify for their second straight IRA Championship Regatta at the event.
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Go Broncos!
