STANFORD MEN'S ROWING is on the upswing as evidenced by its performances in 2025.
The Cardinal improved in every category at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships on New Jersey’s Cooper River Lake. Stanford was ninth in the varsity eight (12th last year), eighth in the second varsity eight (13th), 16th in the fours (19th), and 12th in the Ten Eyck standings (14th).
In placing third in the B Final of the 1V8+, Stanford completed the 2,000-meter course in 5:27.11 – its fastest time in years and faster than anyone in the Grand Final. Stanford’s 5:34.85 in placing second in the 2V8+ B Final also was among the fastest in school annals for that boat.
The team reached these accomplishments with a young lineup.
Of the 27 who competed, 21 were underclassmen, 23 are returning, and only four were seniors or graduate students.
Of the 18 (including coxswains) on either of the eights at the IRA Championships, 13 were underclassmen and all but three are returning.
The 1V8+ boat at IRA’s consisted of three freshmen, two sophomores, one junior, one senior, and two graduate students.
The graduate students – Adrien Richez in the No. 3 seat and Max Shakespeare at No. 4 – were vital. Richez, a master’s student in aeronautics and astronautics, rowed in the stroke seat for Navy’s 1V8+ in the 2023 IRA Championships.
Shakespeare, a master’s student in public health, rowed on Harvard’s 2V8+ at the 2022 IRA Championships. On a young team, they provided much-needed experience and leadership, in addition to their rowing.
Shakespeare and senior James Fetter, a Palo Alto High graduate who joined the team as a walk-on in 2021 without rowing experience, were Stanford’s selections to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation team. Fetter rowed in the No. 6 seat of the 1V8+.
The MPSF provided Stanford, California, Oregon State, and Washington with a new conference with the breakup of the Pac-12. The four joined Gonzaga, San Diego, Santa Clara, and UC San Diego in the new conference.
Elliott Donovan-Davies, a native of Wales, earned MPSF Freshman of the Year honors. He rowed mainly in the No. 7 seat. Donovan-Davies and Gabriel George (No. 2) rowed were the two freshmen who rowed on the 1V8+ all season. Another freshman, Gabrielle Zammit, was the coxswain on the 1V8+ throughout the IRA Championships.
During the regular season, which was entirely raced in duals on Stanford’s home course of Belmont Channel/Redwood Shores Lagoon, the Cardinal 1V8+ went 7-3 and the 2V8+ went 6-4.
Two of the main highlights were 1V8+ victories over Brown and Syracuse, both at the Redwood Shores Challenge on April 12-13. Stanford was No. 8 and Brown No. 3 when the Cardinal beat the Bears, 6:03.4-6:08.0.
The following day, both Stanford eights beat Syracuse, which was ranked No. 9 at the time. In the 1V8+, Stanford beat the Orange, 5:34.6-5:36.0. At the IRA Championships, both Brown and Syracuse were in the 1V8+ Grand Final, placing fifth and sixth, respectively, providing even more evidence of Stanford’s rise and potential.
Honors
Team
MPSF Varsity Eight Boat of the Week (March 6)
MPSF Crew of the Week (March 6)
Individuals
Kannan Alford
MPSF All-Academic
Callen Berwick
MPSF All-Academic
Fleur Blasé
MPSF All-Academic
Tom Corbett
MPSF All-Academic
Elliott Donovan-Davies
MPSF Freshman of the Year
James Fetter
All-MPSF
MPSF All-Academic
Hylton Harvey
MPSF All-Academic
James Pullinger
MPSF All-Academic
Sandro Scalfi
MPSF All-Academic
Arthur Scott
MPSF All-Academic
Max Shakespeare
All-MPSF
Luke Smith
MPSF All-Academic