Dragons Place Five Boats in Grand Finals in Historic Drexel Showing at Dad Vail

Saturday, May 9

Schuylkill River

TBA

Drexel University

Dad Vail Regatta

Dragons Place Five Boats in Grand Finals in Historic Drexel Showing at Dad Vail

5/29/2009 2:32:57 PM | Women's Rowing

Philadelphia - Drexel Crew completed what some consider the finest team showing in his long history of competition at the Dad Vail Regatta as the Dragons sent seven boats to the semifinals with five of the seven reaching the grand finals. The Dragons were seen throughout the second day of the largest collegiate regatta in the world as Drexel boats raced 12 times against some of the best competition in the country.

The Drexel women's varsity eight landed in the grand final after a second-place finish in the semifinal. The Dragons produced a fifth-place finish in the race for the Evelyn Bergman Trophy while crossing the line ahead of former champion Purdue. The Dragons' top finish for the day was a fourth place showing by the men's lightweight four. In only its second regatta of competition together the boat outraced Emory and Saint Joseph's in the grand final after taking second in its semifinal heat. Drexel's other new entry, the men's varsity pair, also opened eyes with a first-place finish in its semifinal before taking sixth in the grand final.

For proof of the strong future of Drexel Crew, both the men's and women's novice eights used strong semifinal races to earn places in the grand finals. The men won its semifinal handily and went on to take fifth place in the seven-boat grand final. The women took the last grand finals berth in one of the most exciting semifinal races of the day to establish their place in the grand final. Drexel went on to defeat Saint Joseph's to claim fifth place overall.