Yale Athletics

On Saturday, April 12, the Yale women’s crew team defended the Class of 1985 Cup against Dartmouth with a commanding performance on home water at the Housatonic River near Gilder Boathouse, CT. Battling through rain-soaked conditions, the Bulldogs swept in six races against Dartmouth.

The last time the Elis faced the Big Green was in the Ivy opener of 2022, where Yale prevailed in all five races against Dartmouth, Cornell and Columbia. Edging out the runner-up by over five seconds in every race, the Bulldogs added both the Class of 1985 Cup and Connell Cup to the Gilder Boathouse trophy case. 

This was the team’s only home race of the season, and the Bulldogs were in high spirits as they geared up for the return of the Yale-Dartmouth matchup after three years. Before the races, the crew celebrated senior night, a tradition honoring the seniors and their contributions to the team. 

“Senior night was really nice because we got to honor each of the seniors, and we prepared posters before to honor each of their contributions to the team,” Ella Warden ’27, seat two of the third varsity quartet, told the News.

Additionally, the team also celebrated coach Will Porter’s 25th year with Yale. Porter was named head coach of the women’s crew team in 1999, and under his coaching and guidance, the team qualified for the NCAA 21 times, taking home 18 top-10 finishes and five NCAA titles.

“It has been an honor to coach at YWC, the athletes who row at Yale are exceptional on every level, athletically, academically, and as people,” Porter told the News.

The head coach also recognized the exceptional dedication and courage involved in simultaneously pursuing both sports and academics at the highest level.

In addition to winning a multitude of team titles, Porter has also coached seven Olympians, 10 senior team athletes and 29 U23 athletes.

“What the athletes do daily is amazing, and it is not for everyone. Very few people are brave enough to take on the ultimate challenge of rowing at the top level of our sport and not compromising their academics. I love it,” said Porter.

The races at the Housatonic River started bright and early at 8:30 am with the third varsity eight race, which set the momentum for the Bulldogs with a dominant finish of 6:33.30, edging out Dartmouth’s time of 6:45.47 by over 12 seconds. The Bulldogs started the race with a bang, and after an explosive start sequence, settled into a strong base rhythm through the middle 1000m, opening up clear water and never looking back.

Even with the oncoming of spring, the weather remained chilly at around 39 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight overcast and a drizzle throughout the morning. The suboptimal conditions, combined with a light chop on the water, made the crew exercise special caution throughout the races. However, the Bulldogs stayed resilient throughout the harsh weather conditions.

“Cold weather prevents you from really stretching out and relaxing, but we did well today,” Porter wrote to the News. “We train year-round in pretty much any conditions; today was no big deal.”

The first varsity eight team continued the winning streak for the Bulldogs, securing the Class of ’85 Cup and rowing away to victory with a time of 6:08.40, 14.05 seconds ahead of the Big Green’s 6:22.45.

The second varsity eight team closed the first half of the races on a high note, outpacing the competition with 6:19.20, over 12 seconds ahead of Dartmouth (6:31.79).

The varsity four team continued dominating the river during the second half of racing, with the first varsity quartet finishing on top with 6:55.60, a runaway win over Dartmouth (7:16.72).

The second varsity four (7:00.90) also stormed to victory, crossing the line comfortably ahead of the Big Green (7:24.80). The consistent and dominant performance of the crew team was thanks in no small part to their intensive practices both on and off season.

“The team culture is very good, and the vibes are very high. We’re pushing each other to the max,” said Warden.

Starting in the fall, the Bulldogs trained outdoors six days a week in the fall and spring and indoors during winter when the water froze over.

Even during days with no scheduled practice, captain Mia Levy ’25 often held captain practices to build the team’s stamina. Coach Porter expressed excitement about the team’s motivation.

“We practice at a high level, the energy and focus are intense, the squad is driven from within which allows me to coach technique rather than effort,” Porter said.

To close off the event, the third varsity four sealed the win with open water with a time of 7:23.50, 18.21 seconds ahead of Dartmouth (7:41.71).

This final victory meant that Yale not only retained the Class of 1985 Cup but also clinched a flawless 6-0 win, with a comfortable margin of over 10 seconds in each race.

“We had a really good middle part of the race where we were able to row away and continue pulling away instead of just sitting up,” recalled Warden.

With the Class of 1985 Cup successfully defended, the Bulldogs will now set their sights on the Eisenberg Cup, where they will travel to New Jersey to face Princeton on Saturday, April 19. Last year, the Tigers prevailed 4-1 after a close battle, with around 5 seconds or less difference in four of the five races. 

This year’s race will be held on Lake Carnegie, a reservoir straddling the border of the town of Princeton.