The Red and Blue took to the waters competitively for the first time in over a year, competing in Temple's annual Murphy Cup Regatta.
Credit: Chase SuttonOn Saturday, April 3, all of Penn’s rowing teams were in action for the first time in more than a year.
The Quakers competed on the Schuylkill River in the 38th annual Murphy Cup Regatta, hosted by Temple. The distance for this race was 2,000 meters and the conditions on the weekend were great for rowing.
Penn men’s lightweight crew sent its Second Varsity Eight and Third Varsity Eight, and the Quakers' heavyweight men’s team and women’s team also attended. Also competing at this regatta were Drexel and La Salle.
The lightweight men’s Varsity Eight won its race against several of the heavyweight Second Varsity boats. Their time of 5:42 on Saturday was good for second fastest on the course, and helped them defeat five other boats in the Second Varsity Eights heavyweight race. The second-place Temple lightweights were nine seconds behind the Red and Blue.
The lightweight’s Second Varsity Eight's time of 5:54 put them ahead of the three other boats in the Third Varsity Eights race. Drexel notched second place with a time of 6:08.
Racing heavyweight boats meant that the Quakers were rowing against much heavier competition, making the results they achieved even more impressive.
“It had been over a year since we raced as a team, so it was fun to see the group put out a strong effort,” men's lightweight coach Colin Farrell said.
The Quakers' last race was in November 2019 at the Frostbite Regatta. At this race, the Red and Blue posted four of the top five times in the division, with the fastest boat notching a time of 5:55 across the 2,000-meter course. This year’s team clocked a 5:42 on the 2,000-meter course, a 13-second improvement.
“I think the biggest excitement for everyone was just the chance to get back out on the race course and wear the Red and Blue,” Farrell said.
The Quakers' men’s lightweight team is looking to finish the season strong in its final races coming up. Following the Kerr Cup Regatta on April 17, the Bergen Cup Regatta will be held on the Schuylkill on May 1.
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