SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- The 2026 men's rowing season has officially come to a close as the Jacksonville Dolphins finished their racing at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta Saturday afternoon.

The Dolphins raced in the Varsity Four end, earning an 11th place overall finish for the event. Jacksonville has placed in the Top 12 in the Varsity Four in each of the last four trips to the IRA National Championships.

JU opened its national championship run with a 06:25.090 time in the opening time trial, a 14th place finish in the opening heat. 

In the semifinal, the Dolphins were pitted against Washington, Marist, Northeastern, Florida Tech and St. Joseph's, all competing for a spot in Saturday's grand final. JU placed fourth with a 06:42.230, locking in a spot in the second final.

The Dolphins closed with a 06:45.250 time in the second final, good for an 11th place overall finish. JU beat out crews from the likes of Cornell, Brown and local rivals Stetson to earn a spot in the Top 12.

Head Coach Preston Weinard
"I'm so proud of this crew and how they represented JU this weekend! With the IRA National Championship returning to California for the first time in seven years, our team was laser focused on getting as many JU athletes to the West Coast as possible. While we only qualified a 4+, we knew it was going to be a fantastic opportunity to race against the best in the country in that category. 

The crew executed a solid time trial to give us a chance in the ABC semifinals, putting us right where we wanted to be. Their race in the semifinal was phenomenal, and showcased exactly what we want the country to know about JU: we're going to race bowball to bowball with the best in the country and never back down. Those guys had a great performance there and replicated it in their final.

For all but one in the crew, that was their last race donning the JU tank. It is bittersweet for me to watch them take their last strokes. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching these young men and women grow over their four years, and am honored to welcome them as JU alumni."