Card Eyes Another Crown Sunday

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – Three-time defending Intercollegiate Rowing Association champion Stanford lightweight rowing placed all three of its boats in Sunday's Grand Finals during the first day or racing Saturday morning at the IRA Championships.
 
The Cardinal eyes another team title as well as IRA crowns in the eight, four and double on Sunday. The eight will compete in Sunday's Grand Final at 4:44 a.m. PT. The IRA Lightweight Four Grand Final is slated for 6:15 a.m. PT and the IRA Lightweight Double Grand Final is scheduled for 6:36 a.m. PT.
 
The eight, racing for lanes on Saturday, took an early lead in its race. Georgetown pulled level with Stanford around the 750-meter mark, but the Cardinal surged back ahead and didn't look back from there. Stanford won the race with a time of 6:40.823, finishing a half a length ahead of Boston (6:42.799).
 
The Cardinal eight will take lane one in Sunday's Grand Final, competing against Boston, Princeton, Georgetown, Wisconsin, MIT and Harvard-Radcliffe.
 
The four, racing for lanes in Sunday's Grand Final, pushed its bow ahead early in its race Saturday morning. The Cardinal created an open-water advantage by the midpoint of the course and captured the race by more than 10 seconds with a time of 7:21.811. Wisconsin was second with a time of 7:32.351.
 
Stanford will take lane one in Sunday's Grand Final against Wisconsin, Georgetown, Boston, Princeton, MIT and Harvard-Radcliffe.
 
The lightweight double was the first on the course Saturday morning, placing third in its heat with a time of 7:52.437. The Cardinal moved on to the repechage, where it battled Wisconsin for most of the race. The two boats separated themselves from the rest of the field early on. The Badgers captured the repechage with a time of 7:52.081, with the Cardinal finishing in 7:59.327. Both boats advanced to Sunday's Grand Final.
 
Stanford will race out of lane five in Sunday's Grand Final against Princeton, Tulsa, Wisconsin, Georgetown and MIT.
 
Fans can follow the Cardinal during Sunday's IRA Championships final races at @StanfordLWTCrew or on the USRowing live steam.