The season ender for the Drexel University men’s crew team also served as the final competition of the year, as the team placed 18th (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University men’s crew team ended their 2019 season at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championships in Sacramento May 31 to June 2. After the varsity eight had remained in the nation’s top 25 throughout the season, the Dragons received an at-large bid to compete. The Dragons brought four boats to the competition on Lake Natoma: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity eight and varsity four.

The varsity eight was the first Drexel boat to race May 31 in the heats. The Dragons raced right next to Colgate University, who had bested the Dragons by just 0.3 seconds at the Dad Vail Regatta May 11. This was Colgate’s first appearance at the IRA championships. The Dragons had a good start and stayed with the rest of the boats for the first half of the race, but Colgate made their move in the third 500 meters of the race. The Dragons came in last place out of six in the heats, which moved them into the repechage that afternoon.

In the repechage, the varsity eight raced Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. The Dragons found themselves down on the rest of the crews after the first 500 meters. Dartmouth led from start to finish, and they earned a spot in the semifinals to compete for spots in the grand final (who raced for places one to six in the nation) and petite final (racing for places seven to 12.) The Dragons earned a spot in the semifinals to compete for the third level final (racing for places 13 to 18) and fourth level final (for places 19 to 24.)

All of the semifinals took place June 1, and all of the finals June 2. The varsity eight placed fourth in the semifinal race which moved them into the fourth level final. In the final, the Dragons started off strong with their bow ahead of every crew except the Florida Institute of Technology. The Dragons fell behind the pack by the 1000-meter mark, but came back with a fast second half of the race to place third in the final and 21st overall in the nation. After coming into the race seeded 21st, the varsity eight lived up to this and ended their season still in the top 25.

The second varsity eight competed in the first heat for their event. Their heat was stacked with the University of Washington, Boston University, Northeastern University and the University of Wisconsin. The Dragons had a bit of a slow start compared to the rest of the crews and finished fifth in the heat about 18 seconds back from Wisconsin in fourth. The second varsity eight also raced in the repechage against crews from the United States Naval Academy, Columbia and the University of California San Diego. They came in fourth, which moved them into the fourth level final for the event. In the final, the Dragons were neck-and-neck with UCSD off the start, but came in second to earn an overall ranking of 20th in the nation.

The third varsity eight competed in the second heat for their event against Yale University, BU, Navy and Oregon State University. They came in fourth and had to race in the repechages. In the rep, Drexel raced Syracuse University, Dartmouth, Cornell University, UCSD and Stanford University. They came in fourth, placing them in the third level final for the event. They were racing George Washington University inch-by-inch down the course, but GW bested the Dragons for third place in the final. The Drexel third varsity eight ended in 16th place overall.

The varsity four raced in the fourth heat against Princeton University, BU and Marist College. The Dragons also raced in the repechage before moving into the third level final. In the final, they raced Oklahoma City University, Jacksonville University, Wisconsin, Brown University and Northeastern. The Dragons unfortunately came in last and were 18th overall.

Overall, the Dragons had a good showing at the IRA championships. The team will graduate eight seniors this year: Greg Adams, Justin Best, Doug Davis, Nick DiVito, Ben Lee, Dimitrije Regodic, Bryce Rosicky and Dario Vracevic. Davis, Best, Rosicky and Lee will be leaving the varsity eight behind, Vracevic and Regodic will leave the second varsity eight and DiVito will depart from the varsity four (Adams did not compete.)

Though the results of the IRA championships may not have been what the team hoped for or how the seniors wanted to end their four-year journey at Drexel, however, they had an overall great season. The varsity eight came in second of 35 in the men’s collegiate eight event at the Head of the Charles Regatta last October and won the Murphy Cup title. The team also won the overall men’s points trophy at the Dad Vail Regatta, which they had not done since 2015. This was their eighth straight bid to the IRA championships this year, which speaks to the great impact these seniors made during their four years.

The Dragons will now be off for the summer but will start preseason training again in the Fall for the 2019-20 season.

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University women’s crew team fought for a place at the NCAA championships but were bested by Northeastern University (Photograph courtesy of Drexel Athletics).

The Drexel University women’s crew team competed at the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 at Cooper River in New Jersey. The team brought four boats to compete: the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and third varsity eight. The varsity eight and varsity four were seeded first going into the competition.

The main competitor was Northeastern University, who had previously won the overall team title five years in a row. The overall team winner earns a spot at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The three NCAA events that count towards the team total are the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four.

The third varsity eight raced first and came in fourth behind Northeastern, Villanova University and the University of Delaware.

The varsity four was up next. It was a battle right from the start with Northeastern and Drexel trading bow balls through the first half of the race. In the second half, the Dragons started to pull away from Northeastern to take the lead. Northeastern tried to come back for a sprint at the end, but the Dragons were able to hold them off to earn gold medals and five points for the team. Northeastern held on for second place and earned four points. This was the second year in a row that Drexel won the varsity four title at the CAA championships. Both years were led by senior coxswain Danika Meldrum.

The second varsity eight was seeded second behind Northeastern for their race. All teams started off strong at the beginning, but the Dragons started to fall back from Northeastern in the middle of the race. The crew from Eastern Michigan University battled Northeastern for the lead, but Northeastern hung on for the win and earned 10 points for their team. Eastern Michigan came in second for eight points, Villanova was in third for six points and the Dragons finished fourth for four points.

The totals after the first two NCAA races were as follows: Northeastern with 14 points, Eastern Michigan with 10 points, Drexel and Villanova were tied at nine, and Delaware had three. The varsity eight race decided the overall team title winners.

Northeastern’s varsity eight had won the event title for the past five years, which helped clinch the team’s automatic bid to the NCAA championships, but after the Dragons defeated them at Eastern Sprints, they were seeded second this year.

Northeastern came fast off the start of the race ahead of the Dragons by a couple seats. All of the varsity eights were battling for a spot on that medals stand. Last season, Delaware came in second behind Northeastern while the Dragons came in third. They were definitely out for blood again this time. The Dragons needed Northeastern to place out of the top two in order to take home the first ever CAA team title and clinch a birth to the NCAA championships.

It was a hard fight for the Dragons, but they were relentless and took the lead after the 1000-meter mark. They finished in first place with a time of 6:42.591 almost four seconds ahead of Northeastern. This was the first varsity eight win in program history.

With a second-place finish for Northeastern, the final team standings were as follows: Northeastern with 26 points, Drexel with 24 points, Eastern Michigan with 19, Villanova with 15 and Delaware finished with six. This gave Northeastern their sixth consecutive CAA championship team title, and they will move on to the NCAA championships May 31 to June 2.

For their efforts, seniors Amanda Reale, Anna Savage and coxswain Maggie Collington were named to the All-CAA team. For the win in the varsity eight category for the first time, head coach Paul Savell was awarded CAA Coach of the Year.

The Dragons grew a lot this season and were recognized as the CAA Boat of the Week four times. Reale was also awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the Blue and Gold event, and Collington received the Nicole Hester award.

The team graduates 11 seniors from the team who have definitely made their mark. In addition to Reale, Savage, Collington and Meldrum, the team will also say goodbye to co-captain Natalie Alleva, as well as Jessika Coleman, Mairen Hilary, Stephanie Horn, Maggie Johnson, Bella Orcutt and Sofia Ryan.

For the women’s team, it was a bittersweet end to an incredible season.

“I am proud of the strides the team has made this year with the first V8 CAA gold and another gold in the V4 category putting us the closest we have ever been to qualifying for NCAAs,” Meldrum said. “I can’t wait to see what next season brings for the Dragons.”

The men’s crew team did not compete this past weekend as they awaited the selection of the teams for the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, which were announced May 21.

The men’s team will send the varsity eight, seeded 21st, the second varsity eight, seeded 17th, the third varsity eight, seeded 18th, and the varsity four. Preliminary heats were also announced, and you can check out these heats at http://irarowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Heat-Selection-with-Seedings-Final.pdf.

The men’s team will travel to the Sacramento State Aquatics Center for the IRA National Championships, which will take place May 31 through June 2. They have remained in the top 25 in the nation throughout the season and will be looking to improve on their current seedings at the race. Good luck Dragons!

The Drexel University men’s and women’s crew teams competed at the 2019 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia May 10 and 11. This is the race that the rowers talk about all year long. It’s the largest collegiate regatta in the country, drawing in teams from across the nation. National Collegiate Athletic Association teams from all divisions compete for a chance at a title. The Dragons were attempting to win their seventh overall team title in a row and the third women’s team title in a row.

On the first day of competition, the Dragons had eight of their total nine boats compete.

For boats that were entered in events with more than 18 entries, the crews competed in a time trial, which is about 1900 meters. The teams were ranked by time, and the top 18 times were seeded into three semifinals. The men’s frosh/novice heavyweight and junior varsity heavyweight eights placed first, while the women’s heavyweight four placed seventh, the men’s heavyweight four placed 10th, the women’s varsity heavyweight eight placed fourth and the men’s varsity heavyweight eight placed third overall. With these finishes, the Drexel boats made it to the semifinals.

Later that day, the men’s third varsity heavyweight eight competed against Temple University, the University of Delaware, Marietta College and the University of Massachusetts in a semifinal. The Dragons placed third and claimed their spot in the grand final.

The women’s junior varsity heavyweight eight raced Fordham University, Saint Joseph’s University, Vassar College and Manhattan College. The Dragons came away with the win by 10 seconds over Fordham, which sealed their spot in the grand finals.

“Well going into it, we knew that there was going to be a lot of wind so our motto was ‘get out, stay out.’ I think we handled the conditions really well. In the wind, it was a really rough race, but I think that we did what we had to do, and we came out on top,” senior Stephanie Horn, the stroke seat of the women’s junior varsity eight, said.

“I think we performed really well under the circumstances. We went out there and knew what we had to do, and we just hammered it down the course. We know that we row well in tough conditions, and we were able to show that when we came out on top yesterday,” senior Natalie Alleva, the seven-seat of the women’s junior varsity eight and one of the three captains on the team, added.

“I’m really excited for this year. The 2V has won for the past two years, and we’re trying to get the third this year,” Horn said. “It’s gone by really fast. 241 days ago we were starting pre-season; we were doing the four-mile run test. And now we’ve been training two-a-days training for this race. Now we’re here. Now we got to show them what we got.”

“Up until this point, it didn’t really hit me. But now that I know that it’s my last Dad Vails, it’s my last race on the Schuylkill, I’m very nostalgic. It’s weird the way things turned out,” Alleva added. “I’m really, really excited. I’m ready to be on that medals dock.”

The men’s frosh/novice eight won their semifinal and advanced to the grand finals with the second fastest time behind the crew from the University of Western Ontario. The men’s junior varsity eight had a similar performance in their semifinal, easily advancing to the grand finals. They also had the second fastest time just behind the crew from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The women’s varsity four also advanced to the grand finals after their semifinal where they raced Boston University, UMass, Georgia Institute of Technology, Loyola University Maryland and MIT. The men’s varsity four missed out on the grand finals, as they came in fourth place in their semifinal behind Bowdoin College, Fordham and the University of Cincinnati.

The women’s varsity eight semifinal was an exciting one to watch. The decision came down to the last 500 meters of the race. Drexel was ahead of Bucknell University after taking a fantastic turn at Strawberry Mansion bridge that gave them an advantage over Bucknell. Bucknell was fighting back during the final sprint of the race, but the Dragons were able to hold onto their lead and defeat Bucknell by 0.695 seconds. Both crews advanced to the grand finals, and five of the six times that advanced were separated by fewer than two seconds.

The men’s varsity eight had a tough semifinal as they raced Temple, Michigan University, Marist College, The Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota. Drexel was in first, ahead of Temple and Michigan. As only the top two boats of each semifinal moved on to the grand finals, Michigan just missed the cut by 0.061 seconds.

On the day of finals, the men’s varsity four placed fifth in the second level final, which placed them 11th overall in the event.

The men’s frosh/novice eight competed for the Toby Wallace Bowl trophy against Temple, Delaware, Michigan, Western Ontario and Purdue University. They won by about a full boat length ahead of Temple with a time of 5:44.988.

The women’s third heavyweight eight had a straight final against Temple, UMass, Fordham and Bucknell and came in second overall behind Temple. The men’s third heavyweight eight came in fourth. The race came down to a photo finish for second and third place, but St. Joe’s took the win.

In the women’s junior varsity eight, Temple got the lead early. Bucknell and Drexel battled back throughout the race, but Temple had an open water advantage on the rest of the field in the last 500 meters. The Dragons ended up in third place and received the bronze medals for the event.

The men’s junior varsity eight had an incredible race against St. Joe’s, MIT, Michigan, Marist and Temple. They were leading from the 1000-meter mark and held on until the finish line. They won the Ernie Bayer trophy and gold medals.

To conclude the day, the women’s varsity four competed for the Margaret McNiff trophy but came in sixth place. The women’s varsity eight had a tough battle down the course as BU took an early lead. The Dragons battled back against Georgetown University and Bucknell and took second overall to win silver medals. This was a step up from last year, as the women’s varsity eight placed fourth in 2018.

The last race of the day was the men’s varsity eight grand final for the Richard O’Brien trophy. Colgate University looked like they had the lead in the last 250 meters of the race, but Drexel was close behind in second and put in a fantastic effort to try to defeat Colgate in the final strokes of the race. It came down to tenths of a second as the Dragons finished in second place.

For six years in a row, from 2013-2018, the teams won the overall team points trophy. The past two years, the women had won the women’s team points trophy. But sadly, this year, Temple University came away with the overall team points trophy as well as the women’s team trophy.

With wins in the men’s frosh/novice eight and junior varsity eight, the men’s team won the team title.The women’s team placed third overall as a team, and combined, the men’s and women’s teams placed second overall together.

“This year, this is the most that we’ve done of second practices. Coming in, it was like an extra workout. Now the freshmen know it as second practice. It has made leaps and bounds this year,” Alleva said, commenting on the team’s overall progress this year. “We’re the fastest we’ve ever been. I think that has built our athleticism and confidence. We’ve been getting out on the water as much as we can. It’s changed a lot in the right direction.”

“I’ve seen the intensity improve. Even in each practice, we’re pushing each other every day,” Horn added.

There’s always room for growth in a team. The women’s team now has to look ahead to the Colonial Athletic Association championships May 19 on the Cooper River. After defeating the reigning CAA champions, Northeastern University, at Eastern Sprints May 5, the women’s team has a chance to go to the NCAA championships for the first time in history. The women’s varsity eight was named the CAA Boat of the Week for the fourth time this season.

“Don’t take it for granted. There have been points where I’m like ‘X amount of days left.’ But now, I’m like ‘it’s crazy that I’m close to being done,’” Alleva advised to the rest of her team and future rowers. “Trust in everything. Trust in yourself and your teammates. Have a lot of faith in what you’re doing.”

The men will also look to continue their season at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships May 31-June 2 in Rancho Cordova, California.

For the past few years, the Drexel University men’s and women’s crew teams have welcomed the Center for Integrated Nutrition and Performance to the boathouse for the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta — the largest collegiate regatta in the nation. The CINP has become more involved in Drexel Athletics over the past decade with the support of the university, Director of Athletics Eric Zillmer, alumni of Drexel Athletics and the current Drexel sports teams. For the Dad Vail Regatta, the CINP provided snacks, smoothies and the power-up gels known as Dragon Gels.

Nyree Dardarian, an assistant clinical professor for the Nutrition Sciences Department and the director for the CINP, was one of the pioneers for the Dragon Gels. Dragon gels were formulated in 2014, and were then offered to the players of the Philadelphia Union in 2015.

“We have a bunch of nutrition students that work with our student athletes,” Andrea Irvine, sports dietician and assistant director for the CINP, said.

Much of the CINP is now facilitated by students who bring many great ideas to the table for the staff. They work closely with the faculty of the CINP and make the Dragon Gels.

“They have a ton of ideas on how we can improve things over the years,” Kellsey Frank, sports dietician and assistant director for CINP, said.

“The Center for Nutrition and Performance is about eight years old. Typically when we first started the CINP, we were focused on weight management and the Drexel staff community. Over the past couple years, the CINP has been really driven by the students. Then Kellsey’s group really wanted to focus on athletics. Then each year, nutrition has become more and more involved. We try to top ourselves every year. Like what can we do that’s really fun and beneficial for the athletes every year? It’s evolving, and it’s always evolving. And that’s kind of how it started,” Irvine said.

This year, the students wanted to create a theme for the smoothies provided at the Dad Vail Regatta.

“They wanted to do a “Fire and Ice” theme. We have a red one, which is fire, and we put a blue Dragon Gel on the side, and then we have a blue one which is the ice with a red Dragon Gel. We used tart cherry juice this year. It has a lot of anti-inflammatory aspects to it. It’s really good for muscle recovery and for bouncing back, like for events like this when they raced twice yesterday and then once today.” Frank said.

“We love this atmosphere. This is our favorite event. It’s the perfect day,” Irvine added. “What could be better than hanging out at the boathouse, on the water, in Philadelphia?”

Even the students who volunteered to make the smoothies and keep all of the athletes fed and hydrated loved the event.

“It’s a really nice day for team bonding and Drexel bonding. Just getting everybody together,” Irvine said.

For the Dragons at the Dad Vail Regatta, many of the rowers look forward to having the Dragon Gels before the race, as well as all the smoothies and snacks that are made available to them.

“We prepackaged our Dragon Gels according to the boats. The coxswains are in charge of grabbing the gels to take them to the team,” Irvine said. “We usually have [the rowers] eat the gels on the way down. Use some powerade and some water, so usually by race time they can use the gels.”

Drexel University has 18 Division I athletic teams. The demand for nutrition support has increased over the years as more and more athletes and coaches are realizing just how important it is to their lives and their performances in competitions.

“We do support the other teams. But this is just a unique event. There are other teams that have events, but the Dad Vail is just so unique to crew. We give other teams the gels,” Irvine said. “Every team is supported a little differently depending on the team.”

“We’ve won [Dad Vail] six years in a row, and this could be the seventh. So we want to keep that going as long as we can. Within Division I athletics, collegiate athletics, everyone is almost on level playing fields. So what can you do to get that one little extra edge? Nutrition is one of those things,” Frank said.

“And the gels. Nobody else has Dragon Gels. Anything we can provide to give them the extra edge,” Irvine added. “Gels are a Drexel thing. It’s great. We associate gels with winning.”

The Dad Vail Regatta is not the last race for the Drexel rowing teams. Coming up, the women’s team will travel to the Colonial Athletic Association championships on the Cooper River in New Jersey May 19.

“This year, we’ll be going to CAAs. We will bring them gels and be there to support them,” Irvine said. “I have other student athlete alumni that have reached out to me. The teams that want to utilize us, utilize us. We try to touch every team in a certain way. The crew coaching staff really values nutrition, and they understand how important it is for performance. And the student athletes love it.”

“The more support we can provide for our student athletes, the better. We want them to feel that they are supported from multiple different facets within the university,” Frank added.

“I think that the student athletes are starting to understand how valuable sports performance is. I think everyone is getting on board with that,” Irvine said. “We love it. I mean, it’s fun. We like hanging with all the athletes. We feel lucky that they’ve made us part of their team today.”

For more information about the CINP and how you can get involved, visit https://drexel.edu/cnhp/practices/Center-for-Nutrition-Performance/.