Heavyweight Rowing Has Impressive Start at IRA National Championship

FOLSOM, Calif. – On Friday, Dartmouth heavyweight rowing kicked off competition at the 2026 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship, this year being held on Lake Natoma.

The Big Green's 1V opened racing, rowing to a second-place finish in their heat. Dartmouth was the first Ivy League to finish, posting a 5:45.76 to finish behind Cal but just over three seconds ahead of third-place Yale.

Dartmouth's 2V raced next, also finishing second in their heat. The Big Green, one of only two Ivies in the heat, crossed the finish line in 5:50.44, just over three seconds behind Washington.

Competition continued with the 3V race, as the Big Green yet again posted a second-place finish behind Washington. The Huskies finished in 5:51.17 but were followed closely by the Big Green, having posted a 5:51.9, finishing just under eight tenths of a second behind.

Heavyweight rowing also competed in both the Varsity 4 time trial and semifinals. The Big Green posted a 6:21.22 in the time trial before finishing middle of the pack in the semifinal, earning fourth overall thanks to a 6:34.20.

The IRA National Championship will continue on Saturday, May 30 as the Big Green's first race will be the Varsity 8 semifinal slated to begin at 11:48 a.m. ET. You can watch the races live on DartmouthSports.com.

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