PENNSAUKEN, N.J. – For the first time since 2021, all three Stanford boats advanced to the championship semifinals of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.
The Cardinal first and second varsity eights each placed third in their first-round heats on Friday at the Cooper River Park course and the varsity four will race in the C final.
Therefore, each Cardinal boat is guaranteed to match or improve upon their final places of a year ago when the 1V8+ was 12th, the 2V8+ was 13th, and the 1V4+ was 19th on New Jersey’s Mercer Lake.
Stanford still can finish anywhere from first to 12th in the eights, and from 13th to 18th in the four.
On Saturday, Stanford’s eights will have to row out of Lane One. Stanford’s Heat 1 of the 1V8+ is at 9:32 a.m. PT and Heat 1 of the 2V8+ is at 9:48 a.m.
In its 1V8+ semi, No. 7-ranked Stanford competes against No. 1 Cal, No. 3 Harvard, No. 5 Princeton, No. 10 Northeastern, and No. 11 Syracuse. The top three advance to the Grand Final on Sunday – the marquee race of the three-day regatta. The other three go to the B final.
In 2021, Stanford reached the 1V8+ Grand Final and placed fifth and the Cardinal 2V8+ boat was ninth. Stanford hasn’t made a 2V8+ Grand Final since 2012.
In Friday’s races, understanding that conditions vary greatly from race to race, Stanford rowed faster than in its first-round races last year at Mercer Lake – by five seconds in the 1V8+ and seven seconds in the 2V8+.
The Stanford varsity four placed 13th in a time trial in 6:12.407 – a 10-second improvement in the same race from 2024. In its ABC semifinal, Stanford placed fifth in 6:26.71 and will race in the C final at 11:32 a.m. PT on Saturday.
Under cloudy conditions, with temperatures in the high 60s and 82 percent humidity, the Stanford 1V8+ held a slim lead at 500 meters over Northeastern for second behind Washington, but was overtaken shortly after and never was able to mount a comeback.
Stanford finished in 5:38.52, with No. 2 Washington winning in 5:34.07 and No. 10 Northeastern in 5:37.16. Stanford finished ahead of No. 18 Columbia in fourth, No. 15 Georgetown in fifth, and No. 24 Gonzaga in sixth.
The Stanford boat included Elliott Donovan-Davies, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Freshman of the Year, in the No. 5 seat, and All-MPSF selections James Fetter and Max Shakespeare in the Nos. 6 and 4 seats, respectively. Tom Corbett was at the stroke and Luke Smith was in the bow seat. Kannan Alford was the coxswain.
In Heat 2 of the 2V8+, a hierarchy quickly was established, with Cal in front, Yale in second and Stanford third and held for the duration of the 2,000-meter course. The Cardinal finished in 5:49.19.
Stanford’s 2V8+ semifinal includes Washington, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, and Northeastern.
Stanford has a rich history in the IRA’s, going back to 1912. In the varsity eight, Stanford has placed among the top-six 10 times, with a best finish of second, in 1915 and 2007. The Stanford program began in 1904.
IRA Championships
At Cooper River Park
Wednesday's results
1V8+
First Round, Heat 2 – 1, Washington 5:34.07; 2, Northeastern 5:37.16; 3, Stanford 5:38.52; 4, Columbia 5:43.94; 5, Georgetown 5:46.74; 6, Gonzaga 5:56.99. Stanford to AB semifinals.
2V8+
First Round, Heat 2 – 1, California 5:40.36; 2, Yale 5:43.19; 3, Stanford 5:49.19; 4, Navy 5:57.42; 5, Temple 5:59.32; 6, Gonzaga 6:06.84. Stanford to AB semifinals.
1V4+
Time trial – 13, Stanford 6:12.407. Stanford to ABC semifinals.
ABC Semifinal, Heat 1 – 1, Washington 6:17.52; 2, Syracuse 6:20.52; 3, Princeton 6:21.36; 4, Jacksonville 6:26.14; 5, Stanford 6:26.71; 6, Oklahoma City 6:38.53. Stanford to C final.
Stanford’s Schedule (all times Pacific)
Saturday
9:32 a.m.: 1V8+ AB semifinal 1 -- Lanes: 1, Stanford; 2, Princeton; 3, California; 4, Harvard; 5, Northeastern; 6, Syracuse.
9:48 a.m.: 2V8+ AB semifinal 1 – Lanes: 1, Stanford; 2, Dartmouth; 3, Washington; 4, Harvard; 5, Yale; 6, Northeastern.
11:32 a.m.: 1V4+ C Final – Lanes: 1, Cornell; 2, Stetson; 3, Stanford; 4, Marist; 5, FIT; 6, Oklahoma City.
Sunday
8 a.m.: 2V8+ Final 2.
8:10 a.m.: 2V8+ Grand Final.
8:50 a.m.: 1V8+ Final 2.
9:10 a.m.: 1V8+ Grand Final.
Lineups
1V8+
C: Gabrielle Zammit
8: Tom Corbett
7: James Pullinger
6: James Fetter
5: Elliott Donovan-Davies
4: Max Shakespeare
3: Adrien Richez
2: Gabriel George
1: Luke Smith
2V8+
C: Kannan Alford
8: Arthur Scott
7: Hylton Harvey
6: Maxim Ericson
5: Sandro Scalfi
4: Caspar Griffin
3: Callen Berwick
2: Leopold Hainlein
1: Philip Wolfensberger
1V4+
C: Noah Tan
4: Andrew Orio
3: John Salvi
2: Charlie Vachris
1: Theo Herzog