The men’s and women’s first varsity teams take the Collegiate Eights at the prestigious race over tough opponents
The winning Jumbo teams line up with their trophies at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Photo: Michael Last
The Tufts men’s and women’s rowing teams both won their Collegiate Eights events at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston on October 22. Tufts is the first school to win both races since 2011.
The Head of the Charles is the largest three-day rowing event in the world, drawing thousands of competitors and spectators to the banks of the Charles River every October.
“The result bears special significance for Tufts Rowing,” says George Munger, director of rowing at Tufts. “It is a culmination of work from hundreds of individuals over several decades. We did not suddenly arrive on the podium—we have been supported along the way by athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators who came before us.”
Earning one of the best results in program history, the men’s rowing first varsity won the Collegiate Eights event out of 42 teams. The Jumbos recorded a time of 15:25.428 for the three-mile course, finishing more than five seconds ahead of second-place LaSalle University (15:30.800).
In the win, the Jumbos topped fellow New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rivals as well as Division I top 20 teams like LaSalle. Wesleyan University, the NCAA Division III runner-up last spring, was third today in a 15:32.275 time. Defending NCAA champion Williams College was fourth in the race (15:32.448). Division I varsities from Temple, Holy Cross, and Colgate were also behind the Jumbos.
Tufts, fifth in Division III last June, trailed LaSalle and Wesleyan at the Riverside checkpoint on Sunday with a 3:38.492 time. The Jumbos had the second-best time at the Weld checkpoint (8:35.566), then surged to the lead time at the CBC mark (12:58.143) before finishing strong for the victory. Tufts was seventh in this event last year and eighth in 2021.
Capping an epic day for the Tufts rowing program, the women’s first varsity also won their Collegiate Eights race.
In a 35-team event, Tufts’ first varsity trailed defending Division III national champion Wellesley College at the Riverside checkpoint with a 4:24.767 time. The Jumbos had a 10:08.426 mark at the Weld time location and were behind Smith College. However, the Jumbos pushed ahead to have the best time of 15:08.244 at the CBC mark and powered to an 18:03.969 victorious time.
The win came against Division III national opponents and some Division I teams. The eight from defending Wellesley College was fifth (18:20.430), and DIII power Bates College had the seventh-place finish (18:25.532). The University of Calgary was the runner-up in an 18:06.408 time.
The Jumbos were third in the race last year, fifth in 2021, sixth in 2019, and seventh in 2018 for an impressive run of top 10 finishes at the Head of the Charles Regatta.
“We knew that this group was special at the beginning of the fall,” says Munger. “The team has brought impressive mental and physical intensity to every practice. I’m proud to be part of this team, and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the spring.”
