WEST WINDSOR – The No. 1 Princeton Lightweight Women’s Rowing Team used the 1V’s IRA gold to secure the Commissioner’s Cup at Mercer Lake on Sunday morning.
The double of Sidney Bae and Amelia Boehle secured a silver medal (7:40.1) in the 2x Grand Final to begin the action for the Tigers.
The BU boat rowed out to a 1:49.85 in the first 500m and led throughout to take the gold (7:35.0). Oklahoma City took silver (7:44.3) while Stanford (7:45.5), Georgetown (7:47.7) and MIT (7:56.2) rounded out the field. This is Bae’s first IRA medal while Boehle collected her third.
Amelia Boehle and Sidney Bae earn a silver medal in the women’s lightweight double! pic.twitter.com/Y2ByLDSxJR
— Tiger Light Women (@tigerwlights) June 2, 2024
The varsity four of Penelope Effron, Claire Brockman, Hannah Hoselbarth, Mimi French and Nathalie Verlinde caught the MIT boat in the final 500m to nab the bronze medal (7:24.78) behind Stanford (7:19.9) and BU (7:23.1).
In third place in the team standings with one race to go, the varsity eight went wire-to-wire, rowing to a 6:35.1, 1.8 seconds in front of the field. Stanford was second at 6:37.0 while Radcliffe was third at 6:38.8.
Never A Doubt!
The Tigers’ first varsity led throughout and collected its fourth straight gold medal! pic.twitter.com/UfXuxWGHm2
— Tiger Light Women (@tigerwlights) June 2, 2024
With the 1V win, the Tigers won the Commissioners’ Cup as the top women’s lightweight point total for the third straight season (67 points) by one over Stanford (66 points).
Three In A Row.
With 36 points from the varsity eight, the Tigers win the IRA Commissioner’s Cup for the third straight year by one point over Boston University! 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/r48XfPfTBB
— Tiger Light Women (@tigerwlights) June 2, 2024
“The thing I’m most proud of today is the seniors rowing a great race and winning the team trophy by one point,” said Paul Rassam. “The fight by the double, the four and the eight showed out there shows how difficult it is to take the team trophy. We rely on everybody and after missing the Eastern Sprints trophy by one point, we said let’s go for it and they pulled it off.”
Princeton’s 1V has not lost a race to another lightweight boat since the 2019 IRA Championships.
“Today and always, the main thought is love,” said senior Sarah Fry who did not lose a lightweight race during her career. “Our team does a really good job of loving each other and every stroke that we take is for everyone on our team, family and coaches which allows us to race with a clear mind.”
Fry has won three IRA gold medals and was recently a C. Otto von Kienbusch finalist.
“It’s about the beauty of collective striving,” said Fry talking about her time at Princeton. “There’s a beautiful thing that happens when there is eight people in a boat giving every ounce of their energy and soul to what they are doing. That moment where everyone is all in and we get to the core of ourselves in those sprint pieces, final 250m and every day on the water, there’s nothing like it. It’s always about the boat, it’s never about one individual. Striving for something great with the people you love is the best thing you can do.”
