Cal Men's Rowing: No. 2 Bears Swamp Washington in Showdown for Schoch Cup
Cal’s duels against Washington in men’s crew are always a big deal.
The two schools have competed against one another since 1903, and Saturday was their 110th meeting.
A year ago, Cal finished second at the IRA nationals. Washington won it.
Cal coach Scott Frandsen said beforehand that this week’s races would provide the Bears with a valuable measuring stick.
"This is a big one, a big one for us," Frandsen said. ”Our first race against Washington is always a good indication of how our crews perform and where our speed is at. At the end of the day, it's a race against a very important crew for us.”
The Bears and Huskies squared off at Redwood Shores in Redwood City, and Cal delivered a performance that provides momentum for the rest of its season.
The No. 2 Bears won four of five races against the No. 3 Huskies, highlighted by a victory in the varsity eight race, to capture their Schoch Cup for the first time since 2017.
"It was a great day for all of our crews," Frandsen said. "I'm proud of how the crews stayed internal and executed their race plans.
Photos by Zach Franzen, KLC fotos
The varsity eight-plus crew of Luca Vieira (cox), Iwan Hadfield (stroke), Elliott Kemp, Tim Roth, Ollie Maclean, Gennaro di Mauro, Angus Dawson, Frederik Breuer and Campbell Crouch (bow) led from the start, methodically adding to its advantage before crossing the finish line in 5 minutes, 32.2 seconds. The Huskies were nearly 10 seconds back at 5:42.0.
Cal also won the 2nd varsity eight, 3rd varsity eight and varsity four races while Washington took the frosh/novice eight.
"Today was an honest reflection on how we are moving as a crew right now," UW coach Michael Callahan said. "We are moving a lot of water, but not the boat effectively. It's similar to having a race car with a large engine and spinning your wheels when you apply the power. I know our team is up for the challenge to solving it and finding unison and traction."
Cal, which was represented by 10 athletes in men’s rowing at the Tokyo Olympics last year, has a rich tradition in the sport.
This was the first meaningful competition in their 2022 season, and the schedule resumes next Saturday vs. Stanford at Redwood Shores.
The Pac-12 Championships are scheduled for May 15 Dexter Lake, Oregon, with the IRA nationals set for June 3-4-5 at Mercer, N.J.
“We have a lot of work left to do towards the Stanford dual, Pac-12s, and the IRA,” Frandsen said, “but we can build a lot of confidence off of the performances today.”
Cover photo of Cal's varsity eight crew celebrating its victory by Zach Franzen, KLC fotos
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo