Columbia University’s heavyweight rowing team competed in the Blackwell Cup Regatta against Yale and Penn on April 18, finishing third in all four races held on the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut.
The regatta is an annual event featuring Columbia, Yale, and Penn. The highlight of the day was a close varsity eight race where Penn narrowly defeated Yale by just 0.4 seconds to claim the cup. Columbia’s varsity eight crew finished with a time of 5:52.6, securing third place.
In other events, Columbia’s second varsity eight completed their race in 6:09.4, while the third varsity eight clocked in at 6:10.8—both crews placing behind Penn and Yale. The fourth varsity eight also took third place with a time of 6:12.2 but finished ahead of Penn’s fifth varsity boat.
The Blackwell Cup has been contested among these three programs since it was introduced by the family of George Engs Blackwell, a Columbia graduate from the Class of 1880, in memory of him and first placed into competition in 1927.
Looking ahead, Columbia will compete next weekend in Fairlee, Vermont against Boston University (BU), Dartmouth College, and Georgetown University over two days of racing.
