Nov. 15, 2010

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - The Stanford lightweight women's crew traveled to Newport Beach last weekend to compete in the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival.

NARF features a winding, 2.7-mile long course through the islands and marinas of Newport Bay and competition from some of the top crews on the West Coast, including UCLA, USC, and San Diego State.

The Cardinal raced four eights at the regatta, competing in the Open, Lightweight, and Freshman/Novice 8+ events. The "A" boat placed third in the heavyweight division with a time of 15:22.96, only 2.6 seconds off of UCLA's winning time, while the "B" boat finished 10th with a time of 17:12.97.

The rowers then rearranged line-ups and raced again, less than an hour later. Stanford finished up the busy morning by placing first in the lightweight division and sixth in the Freshman/Novice division.

This regatta served as the end of the fall racing season for the Stanford lightweights. It was also the first opportunity for some of the freshmen and walk-ons to compete for the Stanford Cardinal.

"This was our best finish at NARF yet," said Stanford lightweight head coach Al Acosta. "It was a nice way to end the season with every rower getting in two head races in a two hour span."