The Review

Issue date: 5/13/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy of Shawn Duff Delaware rowers cross the finish line at Saturday's 70th annual Dad Vail Regatta. The Hens were the second-ever club rowing team to place first in the Philadelphia-based event.

The men's crew team made university history this weekend, winning the point trophy in the 70th annual Dad Vail Regatta. The Hens are only the second club crew team to win the men's title at the collegiate regatta.

"This is considered one of the largest and top-most competitive regattas in the country for colleges," head coach Chuck Crawford said. "[The regatta] is open for college varsity programs and club programs and they are all competing against one another."

Delaware dominated the regatta, which hosted more than 2,000 athletes representing approximately 100 colleges from across the United States and Canada. Delaware came in third for the overall point trophy and won the men's point trophy with 29 points, defeating defending champions Purdue by 11 points.

"This is our first time we've ever won this," team vice president and heavy weight rower Shawn Duff said. "Dad Vail's is unique in the way varsity and club teams all compete side by side. Beating other varsity teams always makes us feel good about what we're doing."

The freshman heavyweight and lightweight eight won first place in their respective events. The freshman heavyweight eight placed first in the finals out of 28 entries. The freshman lightweight eight placed first in a fast heat of four boats.

"This was a freshman sweep for Delaware," freshman coach Joe Kleiman said. "I'm pretty proud of the whole year these guys have had. This was the No. 1 goal to win this race. To finally get to do that is good for the program, good for the guys in the race and good for the guys on the team that didn't get a chance to race in the event."

Delaware had eight boats competing this weekend. The junior varsity lightweight eight was the only lightweight crew to compete in the JV heavyweight event because there was no JV event for lightweight boats.

Five of the eight boats advanced to the finals, Crawford said. In addition to the freshmen boat victories, the varsity lightweight eight placed second out of 11 crews - losing to Fordham by 6.8 seconds - the varsity heavyweight eight placed ninth out of 31 teams overall, battling with the "Dad Vail powerhouse" Purdue and the JV heavyweight eight placed fourth out of 19 boats.

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