Nov. 7, 2004

PRINCETON, NJ - The Saint Joseph's Men's Rowing Team continued to make its mark on the national scene over the weekend as the squad competed at the Princeton Chase. The invitation only event is composed of only the top teams in the country. This year marks the first time SJU has ever been invited to race at this prestigious event.

Conditions did not favor the undersized Hawks. Although this year's top boats are comprised of significantly larger rowers than in recent years, the Crimson and Gray remained quite a bit smaller than the competition at Princeton and the strong, persistent headwind that blew all afternoon had a definite impact on the racing outcome.

Regardless, the team rowed well and took a great step forward. The Varsity 8 finished 19th out of 34 and defeated perennial powerhouse Temple for the 4th time this Fall. The 2nd Varsity 8finished 29th in the same race. The Varsity Lightweight 8 finished 26th out of 35 in their race with the 2nd Varsity Light 8 finishing 32nd in the same race. In the Heavyweight 4 event, with four of SJU's top men rowing in their second race of the day, the Hawks finished 19th out of 36. In the Lightweight 4 event, SJU also had four individuals rowing in their second race of the day and finished 38th out of 41.

Overall, the Hawks did very well racing against the very best teams in the country. The experience will be valuable as the team prepares for the Spring Championship races and its quest to win the Dad Vail Team Championship.