Zoe Feldshon

Huskies Finish Strong At IRA National Championship

6/1/2025

CAMDEN, N.J. – The Northeastern Men's Rowing team wrapped up its 2025 racing season at the IRA National Championship on the Cooper River, battling through gusty tailwind conditions and fierce competition from the nation's top crews. Across the board, the Huskies delivered gritty, aggressive racing—highlighted by a standout second-place finish in the Varsity Eight petite final and a 9th-place finish in the Ten Eyck team points standings.

The morning of finals opened with the Third Varsity Eight taking on Cornell, Penn, Dartmouth, Brown, and Boston University in the Petite Final. All crews got off the line well, and as the race settled into its rhythm, Brown surged ahead with a strong base pace. Behind them, the Huskies and the rest of the field locked into a hard-fought battle, each crew throwing down multiple moves to stay in contact. In a thrilling last 500 meters, Northeastern launched their sprint and charged toward the line, coming up just short of Cornell by 0.2 seconds.

3rd Varsity Heavyweight Eight Petite Final:

1 Brown 5:36.100

2 Dartmouth 5:38.420

3 Pennsylvania 5:39.180

4 Cornell 5:40.310

5 Northeastern 5:40.510

6 Boston 5:57.600

The Second Varsity Eight lined up in the Petite Final against Princeton, Stanford, Dartmouth, Penn, and BU. Another sharp start saw the Huskies pushing hard, staying within half a length of the field alongside Princeton, Dartmouth, Stanford, and Penn. As the race entered the final stretch, Northeastern stepped on the gas, overtaking Dartmouth and Penn—two teams they had lost to in the regular season—and crossing the line in third, just 0.5 seconds behind Princeton and 0.2 seconds behind Stanford.

2nd Varsity Heavyweight Eight Petite Final:

1 Princeton 5:34.520

2 Stanford 5:34.850

3 Northeastern 5:35.000

4 Dartmouth 5:38.390

5 Pennsylvania 5:38.590

6 Boston 5:47.250

The Varsity Eight capped the off day in the fastest race of the regatta in the Petite Final. The Huskies, ranked #10 nationally, lined up against a heavyweight field: Cal (#1), Yale (#6), Stanford (#7), Penn (#9), and Navy (#20). Off the line, Stanford set a blistering pace through the first 500 meters. The Huskies responded with determination, staying locked in through the middle 1000 and keeping the leaders within striking distance. Entering the final 700 meters, Cal led the field, with Northeastern, Stanford, and Penn packed tightly behind. The Huskies launched the first tier of their sprint, surging into second place. In the final 500, they continued to push through the gears, charging hard to the line. Northeastern crossed the line in second place, finishing just 1.4 seconds behind Cal and 1.6 seconds ahead of Stanford—holding off both Yale and Penn, crews they had lost to earlier in the season. The performance secured the Huskies an 8th-place national finish, outperforming their seeding coming into the regatta.

Varsity Heavyweight Eight Petite Final:

1 California 5:24.040

2 Northeastern 5:25.450

3 Stanford 5:27.110

4 Pennsylvania 5:27.320

5 Yale 5:28.010

6 Navy 5:34.340

Northeastern closed the weekend in 9th place in the Ten Eyck team points standings, an improvement from last season's 11th-place finish. The Huskies also finished as the top-placing CAA team at the national level, capping off a strong year of growth and momentum for the program.

Points Trophy Standings: Ten Eyck