June 7, 2008

CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J. - California's No. 5-ranked varsity eight took third place in the Varsity Challenge Cup behind winner Wisconsin and runner-up Washington on Saturday at the 106th annual Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Regatta on the Cooper River. The Golden Bears, who competed in six grand finals today, the last day of the IRA Regatta, also won their second straight freshman eight championship, placed second in the second varsity eight and freshman four races, and took fourth in the varsity four with coxswain and open four events. Cal collected 207 points to finish second in the team standings, while Washington compiled 214 points to repeat as the winner of the Ten Eyck Trophy as the regatta's overall points leader. Wisconsin (191) was third.

Cal finished third in the 2007 IRA Regatta.

The Bears' varsity eight, which placed fifth in last year's national regatta, rowed to a time of 5:39.021 today. Wisconsin posted a 5:31.173 to win the national title, while Washington, which entered the IRAs with the top-ranked varsity eight, ended with a 5:32.894. Northeastern finished behind Cal, as it did in the San Diego Crew Classic earlier this season, in 5:42.399.

"We were a little disappointed, but we had a good battle," Cal varsity eight rower Marko Marjanovic said. "Two other schools were just faster in the final race. It was a quick race. It was really close there for the first 1,000 meters, and Wisconsin and Washington just took off in the last 1,000 meters."

Now a Cal graduate, Marjanovic's next move is to fly to Europe and try to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of the Serbian national team.

"A bronze medal is not winning, but it's still something we can be proud of," he said. "I'm happy and proud of everyone. I'm sad because I've competed with the guys for the last time and won't see them for a while now."

Cal won its freshman eight national title in one of the closest grand final finishes of the day, edging Washington by less than one second, 5:37.372-5:37.880. The Bears, under the tutelage of Cal frosh/novice coach Geoff Bond, have now won four of the last five freshman eight championships at IRAs.

The Bears' second varsity eight (5:41.350) finished behind the winning Washington boat (5:39.308), with Wisconsin (5:43.925) third.

In the varsity four with coxswain grand final, Cal was fourth in 6:24.593, with Washington winning in 6:19.964. Cal claimed a time of 6:30.322 in the freshman four grand final, with the Huskies winning in 6:25.931. In the open four, Cal was fourth in 6:38.516, with Harvard winning a championship in 6:29.779.

2008 IRA Regatta

Final Team Standings
1. Washington 214 points
2. California 207
3. Wisconsin 191
4. Harvard 157
5. Brown 150
6. Northeastern 148
7. Yale 140
8. Cornell 138
9. Princeton 121
10. Stanford 106
11. U.S. Naval Academy 96
12. Columbia 68
13. Oregon State 65
14. Syracuse 63

Cal's Saturday Results

Men's Varsity 8 Grand Final
1. Wisconsin 5:31.173 2. Washington 5:32.894. 3. California 5:39.021. 4. Northeastern 5:42.399. 5. Stanford 5:43.324. 6. Columbia 5:44.565.

Cal Varsity 8 - Coxswain Michael Porter, Charlie Smith, Nareg Guregian, Marko Knezevic, Will Dean, Brandon Shald, Marko Marjanovic, Janis Fontein, Justin Hills.

Men's 2nd Varsity 8 Grand Final
1. Washington 5:39.308. 2. California 5:41.350. 3. Wisconsin 5:43.925. 4. Harvard 5:49.236. 5. Orange Coast College 5:51.227. 6. Brown 5:52.298.

Cal Second Varsity 8 - Coxswain Zachary Vlahos, Sean Engel, Rhett Summers, Nikola Zunic, Benedict Tufnell, David Naughton, Gordon Getsinger, Warwick Potter, Axel Stelter.

Men's Freshman 8 Grand Final
1. California 5:37.372. 2. Washington 5:37.880. 3. Harvard 5:5:42.335. 4. Yale 5:44.752. 5. Brown 5:47.378. 6. Princeton 5:48.629.

Cal Freshman 8 - Coxswain Daniel Freisinger, Nick Lucey, Goran Todorovic, Jovan Popovic, Calum Wright, Jordan Sartor, Samuel Walker, Spencer Crowley, Rush Martin.

Men's Varsity 4+ Grand Final
1. Washington 6:19.964. 2. Marist 6:20.745. 3. Cornell 6:23.510. 4. California 6:24.593. 5. UCLA 6:32.920. 6. Brown 6:35.563.

Cal Varsity 4 - Coxswain Mihir Kshirsagar, Spencer Moscati, Preston Lee, Mitchell Haines, Jarrod McClendon.

Men's Freshman 4 Grand Final
1. Washington 6:25.931. 2. California 6:30.322. 3. Wisconsin 6:36.356. 4. Rutgers 6:39.179. 5. Oregon State 6:40.199. 6. Drexel 6:48.981.

Cal Freshman 4 - Coxswain Rigel Bricken, Matthew Filla, Will Kolbe, T.J. Laher, Daniel Faught.

Men's Open 4 Grand Final
1. Harvard 6:29.779. 2. Cornell 6:31.173. 3. Harvard 6:34.300. 4. California 6:38.516. 5. Princeton 6:38.888. 6. Pennsylvania 6:54.398.

Cal Open 4 - Coxswain Courtney Wilkinson, Matt McLaren, Zachary Laher, Bryce Atkinson, Robert Gilson.