Men’s Rowing Concludes 79th Eastern Sprints

Sunday, May 17

Worcester, MA / Lake Quinsigamond

8 AM

Boston University

Eastern Sprints

Photo by: Boston University Athletics

Men’s Rowing Concludes 79th Eastern Sprints

May 17, 2026 | Men's Rowing

Results

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Boston University men's rowing program saw four crews finish eighth overall or higher at the 79th edition of the Eastern Sprints on Sunday (May 17) at Lake Quinsigamond. BU's top three boats placed top four in their respective Petite Finals while the Fourth Varsity 8 advanced to the Grand Final.

Arguably the warmest day of the spring, temperatures floated near 80 degrees with mostly sunny skies. A cross-tailwind with gusts up to 27 miles per hour made for slightly choppy but otherwise optimal water.

BU's Varsity 8, coxed by Emily Slawin and stroked by Alessandro Gardino, fended off Columbia and Georgetown to place third in its heat with a time of 5:46.243. In the Petite Final, BU slotted into second place as Yale jumped out to the early advantage in the first 500 meters. The Terriers fended off challenges from Syracuse and Cornell in the final 500 meters and placed second in a time of 5:38.025, over two seconds in front of the third-place Orange.

In the Second Varsity 8, the Terriers, coxed by Luke Stroh and stroked by Griffith Coupland, cross the finish line in 5:51.643 for a fourth-place result in its heat. In the Petite Final, BU took an initial lead off the start in the opening 500 meters, but went on to finish fourth with a time of 5:55.002, surpassing the Navy and Wisconsin boats.

BU's Third Varsity 8, coxed by Ben Brinckerhoff and stroked by Liam Feeney, was on the short end of a photo finish with Penn to reach the Grand Final after clocking in third at 5:51.370 in the morning's heat, 25-hundreths shy of the Quakers. The Petite Final saw the Terriers engage in a furious sprint in the final 1,000 meters, gaining multiple seats on first-place Northeastern and coaxing a photo finish. The Huskies prevailed, however, but BU placed second in the Petite Final at 5:58.522.

BU's Fourth Varsity 8, coxed by Hannah Noguchi and stroked by Mason Laundry, earned third in the morning's second heat with a time of 5:57.330 to beat Brown, Navy and Cornell. In the Grand Final, BU held serve with the rest of the field with less than one-and-a-half lengths separating the six boats in the opening 500 meters. The Terriers locked into a battle with Syracuse for the fifth spot, but the Orange's six-seat edge in the last 250 meters held through the finish as BU took sixth in 6:07.328.

The Terrier Fifth Varsity 8, coxed by Phillip Omohundro and stroked by Philip Watson, was one of six crews in the 1 p.m. final. BU battled for the bronze in the first half of the course, then engaged with Penn, Navy and Harvard to reach the podium. Penn pulled away late, but the Terriers fended off the Midshipmen to place fourth in 6:17.950, less than a second ahead of Navy.

BU now prepares for the IRA National Championship Regatta on May 29-31, held on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.

RESULTS
Varsity 8
Heat 2

Harvard – 5:39.701
Penn – 5:41.511
BU – 5:46.243
Columbia – 5:48.771
Georgetown – 5:50.551

Petite Final