ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell men's heavyweight, men's lightweight and women's rowing programs will gather at the Cornell Rowing Center on Saturday morning, Sept. 26, to unofficially kick off their 2026-27 campaigns with the 151st running of the Schwartz Cup.

Crews will launch at 8 a.m., with the first 5,000-meter race beginning at 8:30 a.m. near the Boatyard Grill and carrying boats out onto Cayuga Lake. The second 5K will start at 9 a.m., bringing crews back in from the lake to finish in front of the Boatyard Grill. At 9:30 a.m., boats will line up side by side for a 500-meter piece, with combined times from all three pieces determining the fastest crew in each program and the winners of this year's Schwartz Cups. Final times and race directions are subject to change based on water and wind conditions.

In true Schwartz Cup tradition, each boat will compete in coordinated outfits, with awards also presented for the best costumes. New this year, Cornell rowing alumni can also enter a separate category race, with a cup awarded to the top alumni crew.

"For the past several years, the energy has been building. It is even louder this year," said Todd Kennett '91, the Spirit of '57 Director of Cornell Rowing and head coach of Cornell men's heavyweight rowing. "The standards they are holding and expecting are higher, their disappointment is more pronounced when they miss a goal standard, and their resolve to change the result is more stubbornly dedicated than ever. Time, of course, is the ultimate showcase of this. Just know, they are working."

"I'm excited about how this group of seniors is ready to lead and put their mark on Cornell Women's Rowing," said Steve Coppola, the Staley Head Coach of Cornell Women's Rowing. "I think it is also a testament to the work that has been done by the previous few classes to get here."

This fall, the women's program is focusing on front-end impulse and synchronicity, using both traditional and modern tools. Reach straws set on every boat ensure athletes reach to the same point regardless of seat, while the program's Peach Telemetry System uses strain gauges in the oarlocks to measure each rower's reach and how the crew applies power together. Coaches analyze each practice and give athletes data-driven feedback, with the goal of narrowing their focus to one or two keys per session so they can move quicker and more decisively. The team's seniors have also made recovery after every session a priority for the year.

"I've had moments over the past two weeks where I was watching our seniors and juniors row and picturing where they were in their own first weeks of training," Coppola said. "Seeing where they are now brings pride in their development as both athletes and women."

The Schwartz Cup headlines a full alumni weekend on the Inlet. On Friday, Sept. 25, coaches and captains will host a panel discussion on rowing, training and racing at Cornell in 2026, followed by an open practice at 5 p.m. and a cocktail reception at the Boatyard Grill that will include a celebration of rowers who have passed, including Liz Healey '98 and Tad Borek '89. At 6:15 p.m., the Cornell Rowing Alumni Mentorship Program (CRAMP) will bring together alumni and current rowers for a panel on job searches and career best practices.

Following Saturday's racing, the Cornell Rowing Association will hold its board meeting at 11 a.m., open to all. The weekend concludes Saturday evening with a 1980s Decade Reunion and the annual Mullestein Award Dinner, beginning at 6 p.m. This year's "Whitey" Mullestein '32 Leadership Award will honor two longtime rowing alumni, Mark Ketchum '71 and Susan Kuniholm Potter '88.

The Schwartz Cup also serves as a valuable tune-up for all three Big Red programs ahead of the Head of the Charles in Boston, the first official event of Cornell rowing's fall schedule. The 2026 regatta runs Oct. 16-18 on the Charles River, with all Cornell races set for Sunday, Oct. 18.