REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – In the annual renewal of a rivalry that began 120 years ago, the Stanford men's rowing team dropped a pair of races to Cal in the Big Row on Saturday.
On a dreary rainy day along the Peninsula bayshore, Stanford and Cal raced each other in two varsity eight boats, with Cal earning victories in each on the Belmont Channel/Redwood Shores Lagoon course.
In the 1V8 matchup, the No. 4 Golden Bears clocked 5:50.9 to No. 12 Stanford's 6:07.2. The 2V8 matchup had a seven-second difference, 6:03.3 to Stanford's 6:10.4.
The teams rowed against a headwind and rain coming in hard on 9-12-knot winds with gusts of 17 knots.
Wilder Fulford, a sophomore from London, made his debut at stroke for the Cardinal IV8, moving up from that same seat on the 2V8. Caspar Griffin was in the bow. Overall, Stanford's 1V8 boat included four freshmen (including coxswain Kannon Alford), three sophomores, and two seniors.
Overall this season, against one of the toughest schedules in the country, the 1V8 and 2V8 boats are each 3-9.
After Saturday's action, Stanford's eight seniors were honored at the Arrillaga Family Rowing and Sailing Center. Stanford's seniors are Kyle Bergstedt, Ben Felter, Joseph Guman, Jacopo Mascitelli, Joey O'Brien, Travis Senf, Tibor Thompson, and Nick Woehrle.
Stanford next races in the final Pac-12 Championships, on May 19 on Lake Natoma, at Gold River.
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Stanford vs. California
At Belmont Channel/Redwood Shores Lagoon
1V8+ -- 1, Cal 5:50.9; 2, Stanford 6:07.2.
2V8+ -- 1, Cal 6:03.3; 2, Stanford 6:10.4.
Stanford lineups vs. Cal
1V8
C: Kannan Alford
8: Wilder Fulford
7: Tom Corbett
6: Jacopo Mascitelli
5: Travis Senf
4: Hylton Harvey
3: Sandro Scalfi
2: James Pullinger
1: Caspar Griffin
2V8
C: Fleur Blasé
8: Arthur Scott
7: Schuyler Audley-Williams
6: Luke Smith
5: Ben Felter
4: Nick Woehrle
3: John Salvi
2: Tibor Thompson
1: James Fetter