Huskies Ready To Compete At 2023 IRA Championships

The Washington men’s rowing team heads to the 2023 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship Regatta to compete for the national championship this Friday through Sunday, June 2-4.

The Huskies will be making the trip East 100 years after the UW won its first-ever IRA championship, on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1923.

This year, IRAs will once again be held at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., a venue that has served as host for this event numerous times in recent years.

Here is the schedule for the applicable heavyweight races (all times are Pacific):

Friday, June 2 (Heats and Time Trials)
5:40 a.m. PT – Varsity 8+, heat four
Lanes 2-7: Oregon State, Georgetown, Washington, Syracuse, Penn, Colgate

6:20 a.m. PT – Second Varsity 8+, heat two
Lanes 2-6: Oregon State, Northeastern, Washington, Yale, Navy

7:10 a.m. PT – Third Varsity 8+, heat one
Lanes 2-7: Northeastern, Princeton, Washington, Harvard, Cornell, Santa Clara

8:20 a.m. PT – Varsity 4+, time trial

12:30, 12:40 and 12:50 p.m. PT – Varsity 4+, A/B/C semifinals

Saturday, June 3 (Eights A/B semifinals; Four grand final)
5:30 a.m. and 5:40 a.m. PT – Varsity 8+ A/B semifinals
5:50 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. PT – Second Varsity 8+ A/B semifinals
6:10 a.m. and 6:20 a.m. PT – Third Varsity 8+ A/B semifinals
8:40 a.m. – Varsity 4+ grand final

Sunday, June 4 (Eights grand finals)
6:20 a.m. – Third Varsity 8+ grand final
6:50 a.m. – Second Varsity 8+ grand final
7:40 p.m. – Varsity 8+ grand final
*Schedule subject to change. Always check the @UW_Rowing Twitter account for the latest information.

The IRA Championship Regatta schedule changed prior to last year, in that the varsity four title will be awarded on the second day of the competition, and crews in that final will be determined by a time trial on Friday morning, followed by semifinals that same afternoon.

The other three boat categories ­– the first, second and third varsity eights ­– will compete in what has been the standard for years now (other than 2021, when the format was changed due to the pandemic), with heats and repechages on Friday, semifinals on Saturday and grand finals on Sunday.

In men’s collegiate rowing, the winner of the Varsity Eight Grand Final is considered the “National Champion.”

First held in 1895, the IRA regatta was held on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie for most of its early history, including 1923, when head coach Rusty Callow ’15 led the Huskies to their first national title. Washington had made its first-ever trip to IRAs 10 years earlier, in 1913, when they finished third in the varsity eight final. 

In 1923, the Huskies, who had finished second to Navy in the ’22 final, earned a measure of revenge, beating the Midshipmen in the three-mile final, completing the race in 14 minutes, 3.2 seconds. The UW won again in ’24.

Over the 100 years, the Huskies have won 19 national championships in men’s rowing. The most recent UW title was won in the 2021 regatta. 

IRA SPECTATOR & TICKET INFORMATION
For everything you need to know regarding travel, transportation, and spectator information, visit the IRA’s championship regatta website (https://irarowing.com/2023-spectator-information/). For tickets, click here (https://princetonnationalrowingassocia.thundertix.com/). Washington will host an alumni and family tent at the finish line. Look for the UW flag.

RACE COVERAGE: RESULTS & LIVE VIDEO
The IRA now has a dedicated YouTube Channel, on which all of the racing will air live. You can find that channel by clicking here. [https://www.youtube.com/@irarowing7130/streams]. Live results will be posted here (http://results.regattatiming.com/backoffice/webpages/staticRaceResults.jsp?raceId=579). As Always, follow the @UW_Rowing Twitter account for all of the latest information and links. The regatta’s official Twitter feed is @IRARowingChamps.

WASHINGTON’S IRA HISTORY
In total, the UW has won 19 Varsity Challenge Cups, 30 Kennedy Challenge Cups (junior varsity eight/second varsity eight), 29 Stewards Cups (freshman eight; third varsity eight), 13 Eric W. Will Trophies (varsity four), one third varsity eight title (prior to the 3V8+ winner earning the Stewards Cup) and 17 Ten Eyck Trophies. Here’s a list of each:

Varsity Challenge Cups (MV8+) – 19
1923, 1924, 1926, 1936, 1937,
1940, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1970,
1997, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012,
2013, 2014, 2015, 2021

Kennedy Challenge Cups (M2V8+) – 30
1925, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1936,
1937, 1938, 1940, 1948, 1949,
1950, 1953, 1956, 1964, 1972,
1993, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007,
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,
2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021

Stewards Cups
(Given to MF8+ 1900-2016; M3V8+ 2017-) – 29
1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937,
1939, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950,
1951, 1953, 1961, 1969, 1997,
2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010,
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016,
2017, 2018, 2019, 2021

Eric W. Will Trophies (MV4+)– 13
2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011,
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016,
2017, 2019, 2021

Third Varsity Eight (M3V8+) – 1
2015

Freshman Four (MF4+) – 1
2008

Ten Eyck Trophies (Men’s Points Champion) – 17
1953, 1959, 1964, 1970, 2007,
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,
2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
2019, 2021