OAK RIDGE, Tenn. --- The Jacksonville Dolphins concluded their final regatta before the MAAC Championships with a flourish, shining across all of their boats at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta.
JU sent 10 crews to Melton Hill Lake, and every crew showed championship mettle for the Dolphins. Jacksonville won the women's team points trophy over Purdue and Clemson, securing the overall trophy for the first time in program history.
Jacksonville's overall program --- combining points for the men and women's teams --- finished second in the overall standings just behind the Boilermakers.
For the second consecutive year, Jacksonville had a single take home the championship. Last year,
Vivianna Coppa was victorious on these waters, and this year, junior
Luna Spears won the Women's 1x Final.
She raced in 9:13.004, more than 23 seconds clear of the second-place challenger. That set the tone for a successful Sunday of finals for JU.
The Dolphins raced nine crews in grand finals Sunday morning, including both of the Varsity Eights.
Jacksonville's second Varsity Eight booked its ticket to the final with a win in its opening heat, posting the second-fastest time of qualifying with a 6:50.275 finish. In Sunday's final, the Dolphins shaved more than three seconds off their time, earning a silver medal, second-place finish in 6:47.081.
The first Varsity Eight opened its campaign with a cool 6:52.580 run in the preliminary qualifier. In the semifinal on Saturday afternoon, Jacksonville cruised to a win in its heat and the second-best overall time of 7:01.691.
In Sunday's grand final, the last women's race of the day, the Dolphins turned in their fastest time of the weekend, 6:45.819, good enough to best Vanderbilt by almost three seconds and secure the second-place finish.
Jacksonville had four fours on the water on the weekend. Three Varsity Fours battled for position in Sunday's A final, all three posting top three finishes in Saturday's qualifier.
JU's A Crew clinched a spot automatically with a second-place finish, locking in an 8:11.236 time. The C crew finished third in its heat, but with a time of 8:15.909 secured a spot in the grand final.
The B crew narrowly missed out on the main final with a time of 8:20.372. Not to be dismayed, the Dolphins went out and crushed the B final, winning with a time of 7:46.354. Jacksonville's A crew took bronze in the grand final, posting a time of 7:36.416. The C crew secured sixth with a 7:52.844 finish.
In addition to the three varsity fours, Jacksonville got to run a crew of novices in a four at the weekend. They acquitted themselves well in Sunday's final, securing third place with a time of 8:20.168.
The Dolphins rowed in both the 2x and 2- final. Jacksonville had two crews in the double, with the B crew taking a bronze medal finish in 8:26.364, and the A crew not far behind in fourth at 8:29.546.
In the straight pair, JU placed fourth with a time of 8:35.134.
Head Coach Mike Lane
"This was an amazing way to cap off our regular season. Winning the team points trophy is a true testament to our depth and the work ethic our women have put in from day one to today. This is probably our biggest accomplishment in a long time.
We are only as fast as our weakest link and today our weakest links were pretty darn good! I'm so proud of this team as they have reset the standard. Next stop MAAC Champs!
Up Next
The Dolphins will take a few week to rest, recover and train up before the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships May 17 in Cherry Hill, N.J.
The Dolphins will look to claim their seventh MAAC crown of the last 10 years and return to the NCAA Championships at the end of May.
