Most collegiate sports teams can only dream of having a chance to compete against the best athletes in the world in their respective sports.
The Penn heavyweight men's and varsity women's crew teams will have that chance this weekend, as the Quakers will travel to Boston to race in the Head of the Charles Regatta.
This Regatta is one of the biggest in the world and draws participants from around the globe. This weekend, The Red and Blue will not only face their Ivy League competitors and the top independent collegiate teams, but also two or three national teams, including the United States and Great Britain.
The men's heavyweight team is hoping this weekend is an opportunity to rebound from a disappointing second-place finish to Dowling College in last weekend's Navy Day Regatta.
"Everybody is looking forward to [the Head of the Charles Regatta]," Penn commodore Paul Falcigno said. "This is our chance to say to the other teams that we're going to be there in the spring."
"Our goal is to get into the top 10," Penn heavyweight coach Stan Bergman said. "We want to row a real good, solid race."
The Quakers' performance in this race will help them to gauge how they stack up against other teams going into the spring season.
"The most emphasis is put on making a name for yourself," Penn captain Justin Clemow said. "It lets you know where you stand in the field and what you need to do to prepare for the spring season."
The men's heavyweight varsity eight boat placed seventh in the Head of the Charles last year.
Penn's women's team, which rowed to a first place finish in last weekend's Navy Day Regatta, placed 16th in the Head of the Charles last year. The Quakers will face tough competition from the national teams, Ivy League competition, and other rivals such as Syracuse and Northeastern.
The men's heavyweight team and the women's team will each send one eight-person boat to this race. The men's lightweight team will not attend the Head of the Charles, but will join the other Penn crew teams in the Head of the Schuylkill on Oct. 27.
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