GOLD RIVER, California – The Cal men's rowing season came to a close on Sunday afternoon at Lake Natoma, as three Golden Bear boats medaled at the 2017 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships. Cal took second in the second varsity eight and varsity four races, while the third varsity eight took bronze, helping the Bears finish fourth in the overall team standings. The Bears varsity eight finished fifth in the Varsity Challenge Cup.

"It obviously was not the result we were hoping for, but I'm really proud of our overall effort this weekend," said associate head coach Scott Frandsen. "Every one of our boats raced really hard and raced well. The second varsity eight, third varsity eight, and varsity four had some exciting races against one of the most competitive fields I've ever seen at IRA's. In every race, there were four or five boats with a chance to win it up until the very end. It's exciting to have so many different schools competing at an elite level and it continues to raise the bar for all of us moving forward."
 
In Cal's first grand final of the morning, the varsity four took second for Cal's first medal of the day.  Racing in calm and cool conditions, Cal and Washington established themselves as the early leaders, separating from the rest of the pack. The Huskies started to pull ahead, but the Bears gave close chase down the course and crossed the finish line in second place, open water separating the Golden Bears from third-place Princeton. The second-place finish is Cal's best result in this race since 2015 and marks the sixth consecutive season the Bears have medaled in the first varsity four.

The first race of the morning counting towards the Ten Eyck Memorial Trophy, the Golden Bears showed their composure over the final 1,000 meters and overtook Yale for third place. Cal came out strong with its first few strokes, before Washington and Harvard surged ahead on the inside lanes. At the midway mark, Yale pulled ahead of the Golden Bears, before Cal regained control over the final 500 meters.

In arguably the most thrilling race of the day, the Golden Bears took silver after a thrilling finish in the second varsity eight. Battling Harvard and Yale for third place for much of the race, Cal caught up with second-place Princeton over the final few meters and edged the Tigers for second in a photo finish. Washington took first in the second varsity eight while Cal crossed the finish in second, 0.05 seconds ahead of Princeton and a 0.1 seconds ahead of fourth-place finisher Yale. The second-place finish was Cal's best result in the event since winning the Kennedy Challenge Cup in 2014 and Cal's fourth time medaling in the second varsity eight in the last five years.

Racing against a fast field, Cal got out to a strong start racing in lane four in the varsity eight grand final. Cal kept the pressure on Princeton and Harvard, but was unable to move into medal position, crossing the finish line fifth. Yale crossed the finish first overall, beating Washington for the Varsity Challenge Cup.

With all but two members of the IRA lineup returning next season, the Bears look to build on this valuable experience for next season.

"We are a young team and I can't say enough about Kyle Flagg and Justin Murphy, and what they have meant to us as seniors," said Frandsen. "They have given so much to this program with their leadership over the last four years. We will definitely miss them but are excited for the  future and what's to come for this team."

For more information on the Bears throughout the offseason, follow the team on Twitter (@CaliforniaCrew), Instagram (@CalCrew), and Facebook (Facebook.com/theFOCC).

Results
Grand Final – 1V4: 1. Washington 6:23.81; 2. California 6:28.35; 3. Princeton 6:34.31; 4. Boston University 6:39.06; 5. Marietta 6:39.81; 6. Brown 6:40.77
Grand Final – 3V8: 1. Washington 5:47.29; 2. Harvard 5:49.36; 3. California 5:50.92; 4. Yale 5:51.63; 5. Princeton 5:52.74; 6. Navy 5:54.98
Grand Final – 2V8: 1. Washington 5:38.65; 2. California 5:40.72; 3. Princeton 5:40.78; 4. Yale 5:40.82;  5. Harvard 5:41.19; 6. Boston University 5:52.01
Grand Final – 1V8: 1. Yale 5:29.90;  2. Washington 5:29.97; 3. Harvard 5:33.46; 4. Princeton 5:33.79; 5. California 5:36.26; 6. Brown 5:36.95

Ten Eyck Team Standings
1. Washington 211
2. Yale 195
3. Harvard 187
4. California 186
5. Princeton 181