This past weekend, the Bucknell men traveled to Virginia to defend the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference (MARC) Championship team points trophy which it secured in 2019 the last time it attended the regatta. After several consecutive weeks of tight racing, the team was prepared to be pushed down the entire course in any event.
Keeping in mind the events that were point-eligible, Bucknell prioritized the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four. Beyond these boats, it entered a third eight that competed in the second varsity event, as well as a novice four.
Sunday morning consisted of heats with a specific progression to the grand final and others that were simply races for lanes. Confident in its ability to advance while conserving energy, each Bucknell boat got the job done with ample gas to be exhausted later that afternoon.
Fast-forwarding to the PM, the N4+ marked the first final of the day. Three rowers in this boat had doubled-up into the 3v, so the N4+ grand final was their third race so far in the short span of a few hours. Despite the large amount of energy these rowers had already spent, they had enough reserves to make it competitive by finishing fourth, just three seconds behind the bronze medalist.
The V4+ went next. In the scenario that the 1v failed to win, the V4+ understood that the fate of the team points trophy would depend on their finish and anything less than first place might not be enough. Unfazed by the pressure, the V4+ established a commanding lead at the halfway point which it extended to open water by the finish line.
With three points on the board for Bucknell, the 2v had the opportunity to bring it to ten. Thunder struck halfway through the final and with it it brought rain. As spectators scrambled for cover, the 2v continued to surge and push the pace entering the final 500m. Ultimately it finished ahead of its nearest competitor by 30 seconds.
After a short weather delay, the 1v launched for its final looking to complete the sweep and ensure that the team points trophy would head back to Lewisburg. Having raced Lehigh numerous times over the past 12 months, Bucknell anticipated a challenge and they certainly got one. Neither boat gave an inch on the opposing crew for the first 1750m. Once the buoys turned red, Bucknell knew exactly what to do since it had rehearsed this very scenario at practice two days prior. Bucknell shifted the rhythm up twice and crossed the line virtually level with Lehigh. It restrained emotion until video review later confirmed its victory by 0.3 seconds. Upon hearing this announcement, the crew embraced each other on land and collected their hard-earned betting shirts.
All that remains now for Bucknell is the ACRA National Championship in Oak Ridge, TN. The team will spend the next two weeks training at home, aiming to find additional speed any way it can before it takes on the nation’s best.
1st Varsity 8+ – GRAND FINAL
Bucknell – 5:58.8
Lehigh – 5:59.1
Washington College – 6:04.2
Adrian – 6:04.4
Villanova – 6:17.0
Catholic – 6:20.8
2nd Varsity 8+ – GRAND FINAL
Bucknell 2v – 6:12.6
Catholic – 6:42.6
Bucknell 3.75v – 6:53.1
Varsity 4+ – GRAND FINAL
Bucknell – 6:52.2
Adrian – 6:58.6
Villanova – 7:05.6
Novice 4+ – GRAND FINAL
MSOE – 7:06.9
St. Mary’s – 7:22.8
Stockton – 7:30.3
Bucknell – 7:33.0
Villanova A – 7:46.8
Villanova B – 8:18.3
Lineups:
1st Varsity 8 – 2022 Hudson S8.32 SHARK Super Predator
Coxswain: Izzy Mersky, So.
Stroke: Phil Onffroy, Sr.
7: Andrew Viola, So.
6: Zach Gerhardt, So.
5: Conor McNichols, Fr.
4: Jack Fiala, Jr.
3: Dirk Puleo, Fr.
2: Thomas Stone, Sr.
Bow: Aaron Swope, Sr.
2nd Varsity 8 – Class of 2020
Coxswain: Max Silverman, Sr.
Stroke: Luke Lambropoulos, So.
7: Nathan Peot, So.
6: Brian Skeels, Jr.
5: Christian Sieck, Sr.
4: Andy Thompson, Fr.
3: Kevin Carney, So.
2: Ryan Spallone, Fr.
Bow: Luca Arvanitis, Fr.
3rd Varsity 8 – Trustee Challenge
Coxswain: Ben Weggeland, Jr.
Stroke: Brent Mankin, Jr.
7: Mason Cametas, Jr.
6: Cian Nowak, Sr.
5: Graham Knox, So.
4: Zenable Adisalem, Fr.
3: Will Kernodle, Fr.
2: Ryan Daly, So.
Bow: Miles Kline, Fr.
Varsity 4+
Coxswain: Emma Minadeo, Jr.
Stroke: Aidan DeWitt, Fr.
3: Nick Caravias, Sr.
2: Dominic Canale, So.
Bow: Dan Van Syckle, Jr.
Novice 4+
Coxswain: Ben Weggeland, Jr.
Stroke: Miles Kline, Fr.
3: Will Kernodle, Fr.
2: Graham Knox, So.
Bow: Dan Van Horne, Sr.
All-MARC First Team
Andrew Viola ’24, Zach Gerhardt ’24 & Phil Onffroy ’22
All-MARC Second Team
Christian Sieck ’22
All-MARC Novice Team
Conor McNichols ’25
Men’s Points
Bucknell – 44
Lehigh – 31
Washington College – 28
Adrian – 27
Catholic – 24
Villanova – 22
St. Mary’s – 16
MSOE – 13
Stockton – 10