April 5, 2011

2011 San Diego Crew Classic Results

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Stanford men's rowing turned in a strong effort at the San Diego Crew Classic over the weekend, as the I Eight and II Eight each finished second in their hunts for the Copley Cup and Sharp Cabrillo Cup, respectively.

"Today was an outstanding day for the men. The Varsity Eight raced with energy, challenging Cal all the way down the course," said Stanford Director of Rowing and men's head coach Craig Amerkhanian. "Finishing 2.75 seconds back to the defending national champions is a solid starting point."

The Cardinal I Eight finished behind California in the competition for the Copley Cup, crossing the line just 2.75 seconds back of the Golden Bear crew. Saturday, the Cardinal had booked its spot in the Grand Final by winning its heat with a time of 5:56.0.

The second varsity eight for Stanford also won its Saturday heat in the race for the Sharp Cabrillo Cup. The Cardinal II Eight's 6:40.11 time outlasted seven other boats in the heat to earn a spot in Sunday's final.

There, the Cardinal's final time of 6:12.32 was good for a runner-up finish, 7.62 seconds behind California. The second-place effort by the men was the II Eight's best finish in San Diego in many years.

The Stanford men return to action in two weeks, hosting the Stanford Invitational at Redwood Shores from Saturday-Sunday, April 16-17.