Cornell University Athletics

• IRA All-Academic Team (2015)

At Cornell
Oprea rowed in the lightweight varsity eight in each of his final three seasons, winning a pair of IRA national championships and helping the Big Red to win 17-consecutive head-to-head races. As a junior, Oprea rowed with the varsity eight that won the national championship at the IRA Regatta to cap a spectacular undefeated 2015 season. He also rowed in the varsity eight that won the Jope Cup, Ivy League Championship, and the Joseph Wright Trophy by taking first overall among all varsity eight boats at the 2015 EARC Sprints. By virtue of winning the Ivy League, Opera was named first-team All-Ivy. Following the season, the varsity eight was named both the EARC and the IRA Lightweight Crew of the Year. As a sophomore, Opera was named first-team All-Ivy and rowed as a member of the varsity eight boat that was named the 2014 IRA Crew of the Year after posting an undefeated regular season and winning both the Eastern Sprints and the IRA national championship. The crew earned a No. 1 national ranking on April 17 and held the top spot for the remainder of the season. The varsity eight took home the Ivy Cup, the Joseph Wright Trophy, and the Jope Cup at the 2014 EARC Sprints, earning Cornell all three trophies for the first time since 2008. The varsity eight went on to claim the program's fifth national championship, edging Harvard by .54 of a second to cap the 11th undefeated season in Cornell lightweight history. The Big Red, which has been undefeated IRA champions just once before (1992), last won an IRA title in 2008. Following the season, the Big Red was selected to row at the 175th Henley Royal Regatta. Cornell easily won its first three races at Henley before falling to Oxford Brookes University by a half-length in the Temple Challenge Cup semifinal race. In his first season, Opera rowed in the first freshman eight that took the silver medal at the 2013 EARC Sprints, before moving into the varsity eight boat and helping the crew finish fifth at the 2013 IRA Regatta.


Prior to Cornell
Oprea was a five-time letter winner at Chaminade high school, winning the 2010 NYS Rowing championship and claiming the fastest men’s high school eight title at the 2011 Head of the Charles Regatta. He also participated in 2011 USRowing Men’s Development Camp and 2012 USRowing Junior Men’s Selection Sweep Camp.

Personal
William Daniel Oprea is the son of Emil and Karen Oprea and he has two older brothers. He is enrolled in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.