Dartmouth Opens Season With Success at National Collegiate Lightweight Invite

Saturday, March 29

Princeton, N.J.

Dartmouth College

National Collegiate Lightweight Invitational (Penn and MIT)

Dartmouth Opens Season With Success at National Collegiate Lightweight Invite

3/30/2025 3:48:00 PM | Men's Lightweight Rowing

The Big Green and Tigers first varsity rowed to a dead heat for the first time in the history of the Diamond Challenge Trophy

By: Justin Lafleur

PRINCETON, N.J. — The fifth-ranked Dartmouth men's lightweight rowing team kicked off its spring season this weekend with multiples races against some of the best teams in the country. In the end, the Big Green had an impressive showing, which included finishing the weekend by beating Navy in both the varsity eight and second varsity eight.

"It was a great opening weekend for the squad," said Dartmouth head coach Trevor Michelson. "Really proud of our third eight, which includes two walk-ons who learned to row last week, for racing with great enthusiasm against Penn, Princeton and Navy. In the second varsity, after getting dropped by Penn off the start and flying and dying against Princeton, they put together a great piece to finish out the weekend with a win against Navy.

"The varsity had a goal of getting better throughout the regatta, and that they did," Michelson continued. "After a 1.3 second loss to Penn, they came storming out of the gates against Princeton; they raced neck-and neck-down the course to finish in a dead heat. This was the first dead heat I've ever been a part of. In their final race of the weekend, they were able to grit out a victory against a very formidable Navy crew.

Competition began Saturday against Penn and MIT. The Big Green's first varsity finished in second with a time of 5:47.2, more than three seconds ahead of MIT and less than two seconds behind Penn.

Dartmouth's second varsity eight also defeated MIT, posting a time of 6:13.0 to the Engineers' 6:15.4.

On Sunday, the Big Green's third varsity eight finished in 6:36.6, good for second to the Tigers' 3V, but ahead of Princeton's 4V by nearly 12 seconds. The story of the morning was the varsity eight, which saw the crews finish in a dead heat, each in 5:50.9, marking the first time in the history of the Diamond Challenge Trophy that has happened. The effort came against a Princeton team ranked second in the nation.

The weekend wrapped up with Dartmouth's 1V and 2V each beating the Midshipmen in head-to-head racing, each by more than two seconds.

"After some much-needed rest, we are excited to get back to work over the next two weeks ahead of Harvard," said Michelson.

The Big Green return to action on Saturday, Apr. 12 when they host defending national champion and top-ranked Harvard for the Biglin Bowl.

Saturday
Third/Fourth Varsity Eight
1. Penn 3V – 6:04.9
2. Penn 4V – 6:20.7
3. Dartmouth 3V – 6:34.5

Lineup
Coxswain - Katherine Kramer
8 - Brendan Chia
7 - Wyatt Ellison
6 - Grayson Lee
5 - Jack Schwartz
4 - Colby Soutter
3 - Mac Spear
2 - Thomas Barrett
1 - Jack Gallagher

Second Varsity Eight
1. Penn – 6:00.8
2. Dartmouth – 6:13.0
3. MIT – 6:15.4

Lineup
Coxswain - Ben Cavanaugh
8 - Haris Polychronopolous
7 - Alex Cocquyt
6 - Inigo Shorrock
5 - Sam welsh
4 - Adam Alto
3 - Grey Graham
2 - Henry Bedell
1 - Michael Oddo

Varsity Eight
1. Penn – 5:45.9
2. Dartmouth – 5:47.2
3. MIT – 5:50.5

Lineup
Coxswain - Max Konzerowsky
8 - Bradley Edington
7 - Oliver Shapiro
6 - Cosmo Hondrogen
5 - Alex Ward
4 - Ryan Tripp
3 - Val wang Norderud
2 - Jonas Thieme
1 - Sam Terry

Sunday
Third/Fourth Varsity Eight
1. Princeton 3V – 6:19.1
2. Dartmouth 3V – 6:36.6
3. Princeton 4V – 6:48.2

Second Varsity Eight
1. Princeton – 6:05.9
2. Dartmouth – 6:17.4

Varsity Eight
1. Dartmouth – 5:50.9
1. Princeton – 5:50.9

Third/Fourth Varsity Eight
1. Navy 3V – 6:18.67
2. Navy 4V – 6:24.62
3. Dartmouth – 6:45.61

Second Varsity Eight
1. Dartmouth – 6:17.07
2. Navy – 6:19.81

Varsity Eight
1. Dartmouth – 5:58.24
2. Navy – 6:00.67