COACH DOLDRON INTERVIEW

WEST WINDSOR, NJ - The Boston University lightweight doubles boat cruised to victory at the IRA National Championship Regatta on Friday, taking home the programs' third IRA doubles national title. The 2x, made up of junior Kathryn Grabowski and classmate Grace Beery, blew away boats from Stanford, Princeton, Gordon College, Wisconsin and Oklahoma City on their way to gold.

Later in the regatta, the BU varsity four boat finished second in its race to earn silver and finish as National Runners-Up, behind IRA Champion Stanford and ahead third-place Wisconsin.
 
THE RUNDOWN
Event: IRA National Championship Regatta
Location: Mercer Lake – West Windsor, NJ
Results: IRA.org 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
VARSITY DOUBLE SCULL
In the first grand final of the regatta on Friday, the lightweight women's double scull, Kathryn Grabowski and Grace Beery raced for a national championship against Stanford, Princeton, Gordon College, Wisconsin and Oklahoma City.
 
The Terriers got off to a very aggressive start and opened a full-length lead at the 500 meter mark with Oklahoma City in second. 

Stanford overtook Oklahoma City over the second 500 meters and made a push for the lead at the midpoint of the race, but BU answered and solidified its lead. The Terries continued to extend their lead throughout the second half and cruised to victory with a time of 9:08.72, well ahead of second-place Stanford (9:27.15) and third-place Oklahoma City (9:32.73). 

With the victory, Grace Beery became the first two-time IRA gold medalist in BU history, leading BU to its third IRA National Championship in the double. BU previously won the 2x IRA title in 2019 and 2016.  

VARSITY FOUR
The BU varsity four boat, coxed by senior Antonella Kugler and stroked by sophomore Delaney Bernier, competed against Stanford and Wisconsin in the V4 grand final.
 
The Terriers once again got out to an early lead in the first 500 meters but Stanford caught the Terriers and took the lead at over the next 500 meters. The Terriers could not catch Stanford over the final half of the race and the Cardinal coasted to a gold-medal win with a time of 8.23.74, with BU in second (8:32.78) and Wisconsin a distant third (9:13.75). 
 
V8
Due to ongoing concerns over Covid and its effect on team rosters, the Terriers and several other lightweight crews did not enter a varsity eight boat in this year's IRAs and therefor did not contend for the team points championship, ending BU's four-year run of finishing as team national runner-up. 
 
LINEUPS
 
Doubles 
Kathryn Grabowski 
Grace Beery
 
Varsity Four
Antonella Kugler 
Delaney Bernier
Karsen Healy
Tamara Gelfman
Catharine Griskowitz