Men's Rowing Earns At-Large Bid to IRA Nationals
Corvallis, Ore. – The Oregon State men’s rowing team received an At-Large bid to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships in the Varsity 8, Junior Varsity 8, and Third Varsity 8, as announced Tuesday.
After finishing third overall at the Pac-12 Rowing Championships, yet fourth in the Varsity 8 race, the Beavers did not receive an automatic berth to Nationals. However, with their No. 14 ranking at the end of the regular season and important victories over ranked squads (i.e. then-No.12 Wisconsin), the Beavers were chosen by the IRA selection committee to round out the 24-team pool in New Jersey at the end of the month.
The Beavs have a quick turn-around after competing at Pac-12’s last weekend and have less than two weeks to prepare for Nationals. Yet, Oregon State has raced against several of the crew selected to Nationals this season, including Drexel, Gonzaga, Stanford, California, Washington, and Wisconsin.
After the Pac-12 Championships, Head Coach Steve Todd said, "Today showed team depth and that we are headed in the right direction; top to bottom this squad knows how to race hard."
Oregon State intends to build on that momentum heading into the final installation of post-season. Last year OSU sent four boats to the IRA Championships where they placed 17th overall. With back-to-back appearances, the Beavs are looking to show improvement.
The IRA National Championships are set to take place May 30-June 1 at Mercer Lake, New Jersey.
