Conditions were nearly perfect in Boston for the Head of the Charles Regatta this past weekend. The three-day event is the most significant race that Fordham Rowing has competed in thus far in this season. With the first half of the season coming to a close soon, the Head of the Charles was essential in establishing the team’s place in the A-10 conference heading forward. Fordham competed in two events: the Women’s Collegiate Club Four against 51 other teams, and the Women’s Collegiate Club Eight against 30 other teams.

In the Four, the varsity quad placed 32nd out of 52, landing in the middle of the pack. However, Fordham finished ahead of fellow A-10 competitor, Saint Joseph’s University, and just narrowly behind A-10 rival, the University of Massachusetts. With Massachusetts finishing in 31st, one place ahead of Fordham, the difference in times was just 0.013 seconds. The boat ultimately finished with a time of 20:03.582, just three seconds short of the requalification cutoff.

The Varsity Eight boat raced later in the day, faring even better against the competition. Beating out both Massachusetts and Saint Joseph’s, the boat placed 11th out of 31 with a time of 17:19.529. Fordham asserted itself in the top tier of the competition, seemingly a stark contrast from their last appearance at the same regatta. In the fall of 2019, Fordham’s Varsity Eight boat scored a time of 17:50.494, meaning the team saw an improvement of over half a minute in their overall time. The Varsity Four saw similar improvement, shaving over 35 seconds off their 2019 time.

Ultimately, the race was a success for Fordham, giving the Rams their biggest taste of progress since they began to recover from the hardships of the pandemic over a year ago. With the momentum beginning to work in their favor, Fordham looks ahead to the Head of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia next weekend.