GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The Cornell men's lightweight varsity eight capped an undefeated season with its third national championship since 2014 after a dominating victory this afternoon at the 115th edition of the IRA Regatta, held on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.
 
Over the span of four years, Cornell has posted three undefeated seasons and won three national titles, the best stretch since the program won three consecutive IRA titles from 2006 to 2008.
 
Cornell has now won the IRA crown in six of the last 11 seasons and seven times overall since the lightweight championship was added in 1990.  
 
"There was some great racing here at the IRA to cap off a super season," said Chris Kerber, The Henry E. Bartels '48 Head Coach of Lightweight Rowing. "I'm very happy for the seniors, the entire squad, and our families for bringing pride to Cornell and our alumni once again."
 
The Big Red controlled the race from the very beginning, jumping off the line just ahead of Penn and Princeton. After the initial burst, the Tigers faded and with Cornell and the Quakers rowing at a clip of 40, the pair established a lead of two-thirds length on the rest of the field by the 500-meter marker. The Big Red remained rowing at a high rate of 39, while Penn dropped to 37 and by the 1000-meter barrier Cornell's stroke was over the Quakers' bow. The Big Red maintained a seven seat advantage over Penn and held off a late Quaker push to earn a three-seat victory in a time of 5:40.172.
 
Penn took silver in a time of 5:41.087 and Yale earned bronze (5:43.072) by nipping Harvard (5:43.321) at the line. Princeton (5:45.778) and Columbia (5:45.976) rounded out the all-Ivy final.

In the other men's lightweight races, the varsity four without coxswain earned the bronze medal in the Grand Final, coming in behind Harvard and Princeton, while the varsity four placed third in the Petite Final.
 
DAY ONE RECAP
The Big Red varsity eight took the first step on its quest for a national crown when it won its heat by over two seconds on the first morning of action at the IRAs. The victory sent the varsity eight into Sunday's Grand Finals, where it was slated to meet Ivy foes Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Penn and Yale.
 
Altogether, the Big Red advanced two of its three boats to Sunday's Grand Finals, as the lightweight four without coxswain placed second in its heat, coming in behind Princeton but ahead of Dartmouth to earn a spot in the top final.
 
 The varsity four finished fifth to advance to the Petite Final.