Panthers’ Rowing Team To Compete In Three-Day Event

By  //  May 31, 2013

Championships starting today in California

ABOVE VIDEO: The Florida Tech men’s varsity eight is lead by coxswain Jessica Mellinger, stroke Ernestas Zarskis, Jonas Karalius, Mindaugas Beliauskas, Martynas Mickus, Joe Horn, Plamen Ivanov, John Martin and bow Carson Green.

GOLD RIVER • CALIFORNIA, USA – After winning gold and bronze three weeks ago at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Florida Tech will race against the top crews in the Championships starting today on Lake Natoma.

When the Panthers last dropped their boats, the men’s varsity four captured first place in the event at Dad Vail for the first time since 1995.

Coxswain Jacqueline Horbert, stroke Troy Toggweiler, Alec Bertossa, Jose Gomez-Feria and bow Frank Campione won by more than nine seconds at 6:39.17.

Florida Tech's men's and women's rowers (Image courtesy of Florida Tech)
Florida Tech’s men’s and women’s rowers (Image courtesy of Florida Tech)

RANKED 18 IN THE COUNTRY

The men’s varsity eight, ranked 18th in the country at the time, medaled for the fourth consecutive year in the race. Led by coxswain Jessica Mellinger, stroke Ernestas Zarskis, Jonas Karalius, Mindaugas Beliauskas, Martynas Mickus, Joe Horn, Plamen Ivanov, John Martin and bow Carson Green, FIT placed third at 5:45.46.

Today, the men’s varsity eight will compete in lane one in the first race of the regatta at 8 a.m. PDT/11 a.m. EDT.

Alongside the Crimson and Gray will be Cornell, Brown, Cal, Syracuse and Gonzaga. Brown enters the race ranked No. 3 in this week’s USRowing Collegiate Poll. Cal is sixth, Cornell is 11th and Syracuse is 14th.

ADVANCE TO THE SEMIFINALS

The top two finishers will advance to the semifinals, while the remaining crews will race next in the repechages. In all, 23 teams will compete for the varsity eight championship, including this year’s Dad Vail Champion Drexel.

The Panthers rose to new heights in 2010. (Image by Richard Flutie.)
The Lady Panthers rose to new heights in 2010. (Image by Richard Flutie.)

MEN’S VARSITY

The men’s varsity four will debut in lane six at 11:15 a.m. PDT/2:15 p.m. EDT against Colgate, Navy, Gonzaga, Penn and Syracuse.

The top two finishers will go on to the semifinals, while the remaining crews will advance to the repechages. Twenty-two teams are racing in the event.

When FIT last raced at the IRA Championships in June 2009, it was represented by the men’s varsity four. Current assistant coaches and former rowers Casey Dalal and Jimmy Woodard helped the Panthers finish third in the petite finals.

FOR MORE INFORMATIO VISIT FIT.edu