PRESENTED BY SAINT IGNATIUS HEAD CREW COACH MATT PREVITS '97.

Wildcat Navy earns 9th Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championship.

On Monday, May 2nd, the Blue and Gold learned that Lake Harsha, the site or the Midwest Championships, was 33 feet above normal. With little hope of the water level returning to normal, the races were moved back one week and transplanted to Oak Ridge, TN.

Saturday morning and afternoon, the rowers placed 14 crews into the Sunday final races. This was the most of any program and put the team in a strong position to claim the team championship.

Sunday began with the Novice 8+ earning a silver medal, coming up short to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. In one of the most exciting finishes of the day, the Varsity 155lb 2x claimed the team’s first ever gold medal in the event by sprinting in the last 50 meters to a victory by a narrow 8 seconds. The Varsity 2x followed immediately after with a silver medal performance.

The Novice 155lb 4+ rowed from 5th into 3rd in the last 1/3 of their race, missing second place by .6 seconds, but earning a bronze medal. A few races later, the Varsity 2- rowed to a first-ever silver medal.

The Men s Varsity 8+, the fastest boat in the program, consists of 5 sophomores and 3 juniors, which made it also eligible to race in the Junior 8+ category. The lads won handily and, for the first time, the men of Ignatius brought home the gold in the Junior 8+ category.

The Varsity Lightweight 4 and Varsity 4x earned 4th, while the Freshman 8+ and Junior 4+ raced to 5th place finishes.

As the day closed out, the championship was in the balance with at least four teams (Saint Ignatius, New Trier, IL, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, and Central Catholic, PA) all pushing for the team championship.

The 3rd Varsity 8+ delivered a bronze medal, while the 2nd Varsity 8+ missed the medals, earning a 4th place finish.

The Varsity Lightweight 8+, packed with 155lb oarsmen, shot out at the start of the 7-boat final race, settled in ahead of the field and never looked back. The crew of 6 juniors and 2 seniors avenged their earlier loss in the 155lb 4+ by dominating the race and earning a gold medal.

In the final race of the day, the Varsity 8+, fresh off a race three hours before, raced out of the starting line in the pack of the top 6 boats. The top five separated from the field with Central Catholic (PA) and New Trier (IL) leading the way and Loyola Academy (IL), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (MI) moving seat to seat.

At the 1,000 meter mark, the Pride of the Fleet pushed Orchard Lake St. Mary's into fifth place. With 500 meters to go, the Saint Ignatius V8+ made an aggressive move and rowed right through Loyola Academy and into third place.

This is the 3rd time in the program's 22-year history that the Varsity 8+ has earned a medal.

The Blue & Gold accumulated the most points and was awarded its 9th overall Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championship. Congratulations to the Blue & Gold!