WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – Completing its first day at the 2024 IRA National Championship Regatta, the No. 4 Boston University lightweight rowing program sent all three of its crews to the Grand Finals on Saturday (June 1) on Mercer Lake.
BU's double sculls captured first in their heat, and will race in Lane 4 on Sunday (June 2). The Lightweight 4 crew moved into the Grand Final with a top-three finish, while the Lightweight 8 slotted into Lane 5 for its pending Grand Final.
Calm waters greeted rowers early in the morning as temperatures steadily rose into the 60s. The winds were negligible, with very few clouds in the sky.
The Lightweight Double, stroked by
Caroline Burchette with
Kylie Lough in the bow seat, immediately jumped out to an early in the first heat that increased to a few seats of open water after 500 meters. Oklahoma City made a push after the 1,000-meter mark, but the Terriers ended strong to cross the line in 7:39.376, the fastest time by any school in the event.
BU's Lightweight 4, coxed by
Rayna Kuthiala and stroked by
Nina Palmer, took part in a thrilling heat. After an initial lead, Princeton took charge before the midway point. Both crews dueled with MIT, leading to a photo finish where all three crews finished within three-tenths of one another. The Terriers were third in 7:23.600 to move to the Grand Final.
In the Lightweight 8, BU's crew, coxed by
Heather Shinn and stroked by
Maecy Rickman, squared off in a race for Sunday's lane assignments. By the 1,500-meter position, BU contended with Georgetown and finished ahead of the Hoyas by nearly a full length at 6:43.610, about 10 seconds behind third-place Stanford.
Another early morning awaits the Terriers on Sunday (June 2) as BU contends for a national championship. The double sculls ignite the action at 8:10 a.m. followed by the Lightweight 4 at 8:30 a.m. The Lightweight 8 Grand Final starts at 10:20 a.m.
RESULTS
Lightweight 2x – Heat 1
- BU – 7:39.376
- Oklahoma City – 7:46.719
- MIT – 8:03.146
- Gordon – 8:23.353
- Harvard-Radcliffe – 8:46.246
Lightweight 4+ - Heat 1
- Princeton – 7:23.307
- MIT – 7:23.540
- BU – 7:23.600
- Gordon – 8:14.997
Lightweight 8+ - Race For Lanes
- Princeton – 6:31.174
- Harvard-Radcliffe – 6:33.264
- Stanford – 6:33.285
- BU – 6:43.610
- Georgetown – 6:46.084
- Wisconsin – 6:53.024
LINEUPS
Lightweight 2x
Stroke:
Caroline Burchette
Bow:
Kylie Lough
Lightweight 4+
Cox:
Rayna Kuthiala
Bow:
Maya Popper
2:
Cece Mason
3:
Carly Milosevic
Stroke:
Nina Palmer
Lightweight 8+
Cox:
Heather Shinn
Stroke:
Maecy Rickman
7:
Mia Seibert
6:
Zoey Goodness
5:
Ela Ersan
4:
Natalie Erb
3:
Lulu Smith
2:
Charlotte Duan
Bow:
Hannah Clark
SUNDAY SCHEDULE – JUNE 2
Lightweight 2x – Grand Final
- 8:10 a.m. – Lane 4
- vs. Stanford, Oklahoma City, Princeton, Georgetown, MIT
Lightweight 4+ – Grand Final
- 8:30 a.m. – Lane 6
- vs. Wisconsin, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard-Radcliffe
Lightweight 8+ – Grand Final
- 10:20 a.m. – Lane 5
- vs. Georgetown, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard-Radcliffe, Wisconsin
