Rutgers, Army and Villanova compete with Dragons on the Navesink
Story and Photos by Art Petrosemolo
A year ago, collegiate crews from Drexel, Army, Rutgers and Villanova looked out on the Navesink River and were greeted by a chilly morning with low hanging fog. When the fog lifted, the Drexel men and women topped the competition in both the men’s and women’s boats.
On Saturday, Sept. 24, it was a cold, light rain and a 12 mph Northeast breeze – conditions that remained unsettled and uncomfortable throughout the morning – that welcomed crews from the same institutions. Despite the conditions, the results were the same with Drexel men and women taking their respective races in the Governor’s (first varsity) and Mayor’s Cup (second varsity) races.
Dan Edwards, race organizer and head of Rumson-Fair Haven (RFH) rowing, huddled with coaches and US Rowing Referee Tom Langowski on the dock shortly after 7 a.m. and checked weather updates. With the conditions not predicted to improve for several hours, and wind and waves within crews’ capabilities, the men’s boats headed for the course shortly before 8 a.m.
Because of weather conditions, the men rowed a modified two segment race – one Westward with the wind and one Eastward into the wind – on a shortened course battling river current, the breeze and waves. Defending champion Drexel, second in the prestigious Dad Vail men’s eight in the spring, led Army, Rutgers, and Villanova on both the up and down river legs with Army challenging the Dragons over the course and finishing second.
With slightly improved conditions later in the morning, the women’s boats from Army and Drexel took to the Navesink to compete in the 1500-meter race with both first and second varsity boats on the course at the same time as the men had done earlier.
The Drexel first varsity women – also second place finishers in the 2015 Dad Vail – got off to a quick start and the boat pulled away from Army’s two boats and the second Drexel eight on an Eastward course into the wind toward the Oceanic Bridge. Both the Dragon first and second eights took home the respective trophies defending titles they won in the 2015 race.
“Sure we were pleased to be able to get the races off,” Edwards said. “The kids wanted to row and we were able to find a way for them to do just that.
“Winning is certainly important,” Edwards continued, “but regardless of the outcome, coaches and rowers really enjoy this race – the first of the fall – on our river. And the Rumson community has embraced the event with families hosting more than 100 collegiate rowers.”
And Edwards continued, “This has been a great event to expose young athletes from the Two Rivers Area to rowing. We are baseball/football communities and our kids don’t get a chance to see strong collegiate rowing as they do in Philadelphia, Boston and the Northwest.”
The four colleges have been loyal to the Rumson Boat Race organizers. According to Andy Hall, director of rowing at West Point, and his coach Tom Babbitt, it is the relationship developed between the four crews – Army, Rutgers, Villanova and Drexel – that keeps them coming back.
“The kids know each other and enjoy competing against each other,” said Hall. “It is a great event.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Kate Edwards, a junior rower on the Drexel women’s team and daughter of Edwards and wife Linda. “I rowed for my dad at Rumson Fair Haven High School,” she said, “and coming back to the Navesink River these past few years to row has been a treat.”
Edwards and his wife started the RFH Rowing program 10 years ago and the crews have competed successfully nationally and internationally. He also has coached the RFH high school crew for 20 seasons. Edwards rowed at Drexel as an undergraduate and started women’s crew there.
The 2016 Rumson Boat Race event also was a time for the coaches, organizers and sponsors to honor one of their own. Jim Hanna, a rower at Georgetown, and the president of the Dad Vail Rowing Association, was recognized Friday evening for his ongoing commitment to rowing and the Dad Vail event – the largest and oldest collegiate rowing event in the country. The Dad Vail is held on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia each spring with more than 100 colleges and universities participating.
The Two Rivers connection with the Dad Vail is a long one. The first DV race was held on the Navesink River in 1939.
