For the 18th time overall -- and third consecutive regatta -- Princeton has claimed the Ivy League women's rowing team championship. In the process, the Tigers locked up the Ivy League's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Championships May 26-28 on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J.
The Tigers tallied 85 total team points over the course of the regatta, besting Yale by one point for the team championship. Penn was third with 66 points while Brown was fourth with 64.
Princeton celebrates its 2023 Ivy League championship
"We are very proud of this team and our League," said head coach Lori Dauphiny. "A Princeton boat medaled in every event entered today. Their good work, determination and teamwork paid off. The racing by every team in our League was amazing! It was also fun to race along side the men's teams and combine our championships, what a great day overall for Princeton Rowing!"
The Orange and Black needed every one of the 32 team points awarded to the winner of the Varsity Eight as they entered the final race seven points behind Yale in the team standings. Princeton's win coupled with Yale's third-place finish in the 1V resulted in an eight-point difference in points accumulated in the race which was just enough for the Princeton win.
Princeton claimed a victory in the First Varsity Eight for the eighth time in the 10-year history of the Ivy League Championship regatta, holding off a charge from Penn on Lake Quinsigamond. With the win, the Tigers have now claimed the 1V in each of the last six Ivy League Championships dating back to 2016.
The Varsity Eight cruised in its heat to start the day, winning Heat One in a time of 6:06.190 -- a winning time 5.6 seconds faster than second-place Penn. In the Grand Final, the Tigers finished first in a thrilling finish, crossing in a time of 6:01.806 which was 1.57 seconds ahead of second-place Penn.
The 2V was also the winner of its heat, claiming Heat Two in a time of 6:13.278 which was 4.4 seconds faster than second-place Brown. The Tigers would go on to claim the silver medal, taking second in a time of 6:15.150 which was 2.43 seconds behind victorious Yale and 2.1 seconds ahead of third-place Penn.
The 3V completed the sweep of the morning heats for the Eights with a win in Heat Two. Princeton's crew crossed the line first in a time of 6:28.282 which was three seconds ahead of Brown. In the Grand Final, the Tigers entered as the No. 2 seed based off the morning's racing, but rowed one spot higher than their seed to claim the gold medal in a time of 6:26.572 -- just about a full length and 2.839 seconds ahead of second-place Yale.
For the Varsity Four, the morning heats featured a three-second win over Harvard for the A boat in a time of 7:01.321. Princeton's AV4 would go on to finish third in the Grand Final in a time of 7:03.870 -- Yale was first in 6:55.175.
The B boat also won its heat, crossing the line in a time of 7:05.788 which was 3.7 seconds better than second-place Brown. In the Grand Final for the B boats, Princeton picked up its first win of the afternoon with a 4.35-second win over Yale. The Tigers needed 6:56.583 to navigate the course, Yale the only boat within nine seconds. In the C Final, Princeton was third in a time of 7:22.381, and Princeton's D boat was sixth in 7:36.669.
