April 20, 2009

OAK RIDGE, TENN. - The Saint Joseph's men's rowing team earned two top-three finishes in a strong field at the SIRA Regatta on Melton Lake. The Hawks' Varsity Lightweight 4 took second place in the Grand Final while the Lightweight 8 earned a third-place finish.

The competitors dealt with beautiful weather on Saturday, but then faced pouring rain on Sunday.

The Hawks' Varsity 8 had easily advanced out of the heats to Saturday's semifinals, but came up just 1.5 seconds short in the semifinals. SJU managed to win the Petit Final by under a second.

The Lightweight 8 advanced to the Grand Final and found themselves separated from the field in a three-boat race. The Hawks went stroke for stroke against Georgia Tech and Delaware, with Delaware winning at the end. The Hawks finished a close third, just under two seconds out of first place.

The Second Varsity 8 placed sixth in the Grand Final, but showed good speed and promise for the next few weeks.

SJU will face many of the same crews at the Dad Vail Regatta (May 8-9). Up next for the Hawks is their defense of the Bergen Cup on April 25.

For complete regatta results, click here.