WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – With Jacopo Mascitelli in the stroke seat for the first time this season, the Stanford men's Varsity Eight rowed into the AB semifinals at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships on Friday on Mercer Lake.
Stanford placed third in Heat 4 to become one of the three boats to advance out of each of the four heats. The Cardinal covered the 2,000-meter course in 5:43.731 and will race in the first semifinal on Saturday at 6 a.m. PT.
This is the second consecutive year and third time in four years that Stanford has advanced to the AB semifinals in the 1V8.
In the Second Varsity Eight, Stanford placed fourth in Heat 3 and will continue to the CD semifinals. The Cardinal 2V8 races Saturday at 7:10 a.m. PT with a goal of duplicating its 2023 victory on the consolation side of the bracket.
In Stanford's 1V8 heat, Yale went out quickly in an effort to stay with eventual winner Cal, but Stanford stayed patient and closed on the second-place Bulldogs, taking nearly a second out of their gap over the final half of the race.
Besides Mascitelli, the Cardinal boat featured James Fetter in the bow seat for the second time this season, and Fleur Blasé at coxswain. Blasé was among four freshmen on the 1V8, including Luke Smith (No. 6 seat), Tom Corbett (No. 5), and Hylton Harvey (No. 2).
In the 2V8, Stanford also produced a strong finish, making up 2.6 seconds on third-place Boston University over the final 500. The boat featured Arthur Scott at stroke for the third consecutive race and Ben Felter at bow for the third time this season.
Kannan Alford directed the squad at coxswain. Felter, Tibor Thompson (No. 2) and Schuyler Audley-Williams (No. 7) have been mainstays on the 2V8, racing on the boat for all 11 races this season. The Stanford 2V8 included six freshmen: Alford, Scott, Audley-Williams, Wilder Fulford (No. 6), Sandro Scalfi (No. 5), and John Salvi (No. 3).
Stanford's first Varsity Eight. Photo by Stockton Photo.
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IRA Championships
Men's Varsity Eight
Heat 4: 1, California 5:38.194; 2, Yale 5:40.964; 3, Stanford 5:43.731; 4, Cornell 5:50.468; 5, Oregon State 5:56.958; 6, UC San Diego 5:57.484. (Stanford to AB semifinal)
Men's Second Varsity Eight
Heat 3: 1, California 5:45.922; 2, Syracuse 5:49.435; 3, Boston University 5:53.529; 4, Stanford 5:56.429; 5, Drexel 5:56.429; 6, Santa Clara 6:25.859. (Stanford to CD semifinal)
Men's Varsity 4+
Time Trial: 20, Stanford 6:22.856. Stanford to Semifinal 5.
Semifinal 5: 1, Stanford 6:29.818; 2, Adrian 6:32.418; 3, Navy 6:42.178; 4, MIT 6:43.221; 5, Bates 6:44.018. (Stanford to D final)
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Stanford's Schedule
Saturday
Men's Varsity Eight
6 a.m. PT: Semifinal 1 (lanes) -- 1, Stanford; 2, Pennsylvania; 3, Harvard; 4, California; 5, Syracuse; 6, Northeastern.
Men's Second Varsity Eight
7:10 a.m. PT: Semifinal 3 (lanes) – 1, Jacksonville; 2, La Salle; 3, Georgetown; 4, Stanford; 5, Oregon State; 6, Santa Clara.
Sunday
5:40 a.m.: Men's Varsity Second 8+ Final 4.
6 a.m.: Men's Varsity Second 8+ Final 3.
7:50 a.m.: Men's Collegiate Varsity 8+ Final 2.
8 a.m.: Men's Collegiate Varsity 8+ Final 1.
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Lineups
1V8
C: Fleur Blase
8: Jacopo Mascitelli
7: Caspar Griffin
6: Luke Smith
5: Tom Corbett
4: James Pullinger
3: Travis Senf
2: Hylton Harvey
1: James Fetter
2V8
C: Kannan Alford
8: Arthur Scott
7: Schuyler Audley-Williams
6: Wilder Fulford
5: Sandro Scalfi
4: Nick Woehrle
3: John Salvi
2: Tibor Thompson
1: Ben Felter
1V4+
C: Noah Tan
4: Callen Berwick
3: Kyle Bergstedt
2: Joseph Guman
1: Joey O'Brien