Yale Athletics

In the fall of 2021, the Yale Heavyweight Crew team came roaring back to life after an almost two-year pandemic-induced hiatus. The Bulldogs cruised to a 23 second victory over the University of Washington at the Head of the Housatonic race. In Yale’s top boat sat four first years. The team took home third place at the Head of the Charles Regatta before sweeping Brown the following spring when Alexander McClean ’25 rowed bow. That season, Yale won its sixth consecutive Ivy League Championship and secured the James Ten Eyck Memorial Trophy at the national championship. The second and third varsity national championships were firsts in program-history, and Yale’s first varsity boat finished second only to the University of California. That June, Yale’s varsity eight was recognized as the EARC Crew of the Year, with McClean and classmate Marcus Emmett ’25 earning accolades. 

The following fall, the Bulldogs came in at third place at the Head of the Charles and won another Ivy League Championship. The team finished third at nationals that May. In 2023, Mike Gennaro was named as the new head coach following the retirement of Steve Gladstone, the most successful collegiate crew coach in history. In their 2023-24 season, the Bulldogs had a string of disappointing finishes and saw their Ivy Championship streak snapped.

Before the start of their fall races in 2024, Harry Geffen ’25 was named as the team’s captain after earning IRCA All-American honors the previous spring. In October, the Elis finished sixth amongst collegiate programs at the Head of the Charles and then opened their spring season by taking home victories in four of five raes against Dartmouth. Yale completed its regular season by taking two of five races in a home regatta against Princeton and Cornell.