The Princeton women’s lightweight rowing team was victorious at Harvard this past weekend in a preseason event at the 60th annual Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR). The lightweights took first place in the Championship Fours and second place in the Championship Eights. Alumni and Alumnae Senior Master Eights (30+, 40+) shattered their competition, both finishing with twelve-second leads, ranking first.
The men’s heavyweight fours also secured second and fifth place placements in their tussle, coming out on top of their Ivy League counterparts, Brown and Cornell. Men’s lightweight beat Yale in their race of eights by 2.877 seconds.
“The Head of the Charles is always an exciting event for the athletes,” Men’s Lightweight Head Coach Matt Smith told The Daily Princetonian. “For some, it is the first race they get to wear the Princeton ‘P’ on their chest, which is always exhilarating.”
HOCR championship racing for the Tigers began at the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass. early Saturday with the Masters heats. The Tigers were unstoppable in the Women’s Masters, placing 12.003 seconds ahead of Senior Master’s Crews. Both Masters eights held consistent leads through the checkpoints, Weld, Riverside, and CBC, securing their final spot on the first place podium. The Men’s Master Eight’s held a 12.563 second lead on Marin “A,” while Harvard's Ex-Nemo “A” did not finish the race. The Alumni “Fat Cat” A and B crews secured Top 10 finishes, tenth and sixth, respectively, in their Veterans’ heats.
Coming off an Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship title, the women’s lights had another stellar performance, finishing in front of domestic and international teams, including Cambridge, British Columbia, Harvard-Radcliffe, and MIT, among others. The winning four had remnants of the IRA crew, with Hannah Hoselbarth ’26 in the bow seat.
The Tiger heavies’ fours claimed second behind Washington, who placed significantly lower as a team while Princeton sat in first. The Tigers have held the most points in the MacMahon Cup Team Points sector since 2021, with the exception of a secondary placement in 2023.
“The Charles is our team’s first opportunity to race in the season and all of our boats had solid pieces,” Men’s Heavyweight Head Coach Greg Hughes told the ‘Prince.’ “We gained a good feel for our strengths and came away with an idea for things we will focus on as we move forward over these next two weeks preparing for the Princeton Chase. It was a good start for our group and I am excited to see what gains we can make when we race in November.”
The women’s open weight team secured two additional top 10 finishes at the regatta. Princeton’s four took ninth overall in the Championship Four event with a time of 17:52.86. The Charles, infamous for its multiple bridges and winding turns, claimed many crashes this weekend but spared Princeton crews.
“The boats learned a lot, and the coxswains did a nice job steering a tough course,” Womens Open Head Coach Lori Dauphiny told the ‘Prince.’ The New York Athletic Club, coxed by former Tiger Hannah Diaz ’23, posted the fastest time at 16:50.69. In the Championship Eight, the Tigers recorded times of 15:56.28 and 16:19.96, placing eighth and 15th overall, respectively.
The men’s lightweight team also competed in the eights event for the first time under new head coach Matt Smith. The crew of eights finished seventh and ninth, placing above the Yale crew and just a second shy of both Georgetown and Dartmouth.
Looking forward to Nov. 2, the Tigers will be hosting the Princeton Chase on their home course, Lake Carnegie.
Chloe Lydia Li is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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