WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Columbia heavyweight varsity eight fell in the Stevenson Cup regatta to close out the regular season. Navy earned the trophy, being edged out in a photo finish to George Washington. The Lions' third varsity eight was the lone crew victorious.

Despite fast conditions, the varsity eight fell behind early to the Mids and Colonials and never quite found their rhythm. GW and Navy handled a tailwind and bumpy water in the last 750 meters to remain in front of Columbia and Hobart. The Lions were in a position to take third, but a strong sprint by the Statesman surged them about a half deck ahead of Columbia.

"Today's finish stings a lot," said the head coach and director of rowing Scott Alwin. "I thought we could take advantage of the conditions, but we never quite got in sync. We have seen them perform in practice and if they can replicate that effort, I know we can reverse these results."

George Washington used a strong second half of the course to take the win over the Lions, who pulled in second.

"The second varsity eight executed pretty well today," said Alwin. "They had a good start and they were able to stay sharp with their bladework and in rhythm together."

In the third varsity, Columbia built a lead out of the gates and built about a six-seat lead over the Colonials. With 750 meters to go, Navy caught a boat-stopping crab and with Hobart far behind, it became a two-boat race. George Washington came up strong with a strong sprint, but the Lions held on for the victory.

"I was happy with how aggressive the third varsity was throughout the race," Alwin said. "That crew has only one senior and the rest of the boat is freshmen and sophomores, so it was huge for them to get a victory."

The fourth varsity competed for the first time this spring, finishing behind a pair of Navy crews.

Columbia will take next week off from competition before heading to Lake Quinsigamond for the EARC Sprints on Sunday, May 13.

COMPLETE RESULTS
Varsity Eight
George Washington – 5:47.7 * Navy – 5:47.7
Hobart – 5:49.2
Columbia – 5:49.6

* GW wins in photo finish by three inches

Second Varsity Eight
George Washington – 5:51.2
Columbia – 5:54.0
Navy – 5:57.2
Hobart – 6:09.4

Third Varsity Eight
Columbia – 6:02.9
George Washington – 6:03.4
Navy – 6:18.9
Hobart – 6:33.0

Fourth Varsity Eight
Navy 4V – 6:01.4
Navy 5V – 6:04.7
Columbia – 6:42.6