The Fordham rowing team rigged their boats for the Knecht Cup on the Cooper River this past weekend. The weather conditions in New Jersey were somewhat miserable, as the two-day regatta was marred by gray clouds, wind, and intermittent showers. Fordham entered a whopping seven  boats in this massive event, taking on a sea of schools including Atlantic 10 rivals George Mason University and the University of Rhode Island.

The second Varsity Eight found the most success of Fordham’s entries, opening with a second-place finish in their heat, then placing fifth in the event’s grand final. The team had two other boats of eight competing on the water, with the Varsity Eight advancing to the semifinals and subsequently finding itself in the third final event. The premier boat ended up taking third in their final outing, notably finishing ahead of George Mason. The Novice Eight unfortunately failed to advance, placing fourth in their heat.

The remaining boats in Fordham’s lineup were boats of four, the Varsity One of which opened the regatta with their heat. They placed third and advanced to the petite final, where they took home a respectable third. The second Varsity Four managed to place fourth in their heat, just barely missing an advancement to the finals race. The Lightweight Four, a specialty event, was able to advance to the grand final, coming away with sixth place. Finally, the Novice Four found great success in their heat, just edging out the University of Pittsburgh’s team and winning the race outright. Unfortunately, their momentum slowed as they placed sixth in their final.

Team morale took a small dip following the event. The general consensus seemed to be that the Rams could have performed better, especially considering their strong start in the Jesuit Invitational earlier this semester. However, considering the weeks leading up to the race were plagued with injuries and COVID-19, the team was able to pull together and find some success on the water. The regatta also allowed for less experienced rowers on the team to get real competition experience, an investment sure to pay dividends as the team evolves over time and increases their depth. The team returns Saturday, Apr. 16, as they compete in the Kerr Cup on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.