WORCESTER, Mass. – The No. 1 Cornell men's lightweight rowing team won the varsity eight race to take home the Joseph Wright Trophy and the Ivy League crown, as it advanced all five boats into the Grand Finals of the 2017 EARC Sprints, held this morning on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. The Big Red has now won the varsity eight race at this regatta three times in the last four seasons.
 
By besting all Ivy League schools in the varsity eight, Cornell won its 11th Ivy League championship in program history. The Big Red has also earned 12 Wright Trophies as the varsity eight winner. Cornell's first Wright Trophy, in 1949, was awarded prior to the formation of the Ivy League.

"The coaching staff is happy with our racing today," said Chris Kerber, The Henry E. Bartels '48 Head Coach of Lightweight Rowing at Cornell University. "All the crews embraced the elusive racing conditions on Lake Quinsigamond with mixed results. The first varsity rowed a very mature Grand Final race and built momentum amongst the fierce competition in the early going. We had solid results during our undefeated regular season to build on and we are looking forward to the IRA National Championship in three weeks."  
 
It was a solid day all around for the lightweights as the fourth varsity eight earned the bronze medal. Both the third and fifth varsity eight placed fourth overall, while the second varsity eight took sixth.
 
Cornell has three weeks to prepare for the IRA National Championship, to be held in Sacramento, Calif. from June 2 to June 4.

Varsity Eight Boating
Coxswain: Gabrielle Steinl
Stroke: Patrick LeCorgne
7: Daniel O'Neill
6: Sorin Koszyk
5: Gideon Schmidt
4: Joe Pinnola-Vizza
3: Henry Ellis
2: Jack Ruske
Bow: Erik Johnson
 
Varsity Lightweight Eight
Heat
1. Cornell – 5:41.572
2. Princeton – 5:42.763
3. Pennsylvania – 5:43.140
4. Dartmouth – 5:54.565
5. Georgetown – 6:33.016
 
Grand Final
1. Cornell – 5:40.808
2. Harvard – 5:41.656
3. Pennsylvania – 5:43.064
4. Columbia – 5:45.091
5. Princeton – 5:45.210
6. Yale – 5:47.095
  
Second Varsity Lightweight Eight
Heat
1. Harvard – 5:49.820
2. Cornell – 5:52.862
3. Navy – 5:53.749
4. Dartmouth – 5:59.506
5. Georgetown – 6:01.449
 
Grand Final
1. Harvard – 5:46.553
2. Yale – 5:48.458
3. Navy – 5:48.525
4. Princeton – 5:51.141
5. Columbia – 5:51.984
6. Cornell – 5:53.029
 
Third Varsity Lightweight Eight
Heat
1. Harvard – 5:50.118
2. Cornell – 5:53.604
3. Yale – 5:56.476
4. Dartmouth – 6:09.715
5. Georgetown – 6:11.575
 
Grand Final
1. Yale – 5:49.542
2. Princeton – 5:51.319
3. Harvard – 5:52.121
4. Cornell – 5:54.616
5. Navy – 5:55.476
6. Columbia – 6:08.001
 
Fourth Varsity Lightweight Eight
1. Navy – 5:51.300
2. Princeton – 5:51.732
3. Cornell –5:55.285
4. Harvard – 5:55.362
5. Yale – 6:04.563
6. Dartmouth – 6:12.934
7. Pennsylvania – 6:16.944
 
5-6 Varsity Lightweight Eight
Grand Final
1. Navy 5V – 5:58.474
2. Harvard 5V – 5:58.942
3. Navy 6V – 6:05.080
4. Cornell 5V – 6:08.247                
5. Princeton 5V – 6:08.538
6. Harvard 6V – 6:18.082