The Yale lightweight crew team is set to begin its spring racing season on March 28, opening with races at Overpeck Park in New Jersey as part of the National Collegiate Lightweight Invitational.
The schedule is important for the Bulldogs as they compete against traditional rivals and aim to build on last year’s performances. The team will face Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, and Princeton in the weeks following their opener before heading to the EARC Sprints in mid-May. The season will conclude at the IRA Championships on Lake Natoma in California at the end of May.
Captain Timmy Parsons leads this year’s squad. Parsons set a new American lightweight 2k erg record during the offseason with a time of 5:58.3. He has rowed in Yale’s first varsity eight since his freshman year and has represented the United States at three consecutive U23 World Rowing Championships. Senior Will Konopka also brings international experience after competing for Team USA at last summer’s U23 World Rowing Championships.
Senior Andrew Terkildsen serves as Commodore for this season. Last year, Terkildsen rowed in Yale’s third varsity eight that finished undefeated during regular competition and won bronze at Eastern Sprints. The current roster includes five returnees from last year’s first varsity eight at IRAs along with twelve first-year athletes joining this spring.
Yale’s early-season schedule features races against Navy (for both Johnson Cup and Van Amringe Cup), Georgetown and MIT (for Bulldog Cup and Joy Cup) on March 28. In April, home contests include Columbia and Penn (Dodge Cup and Colgan Cup) followed by trips to Dartmouth (Durand Cup) and Harvard/Princeton (Goldthwait Cup/Vogel Cup). The Eastern Sprints are scheduled for May 17 on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts; IRA Championships take place May 29-31 on Lake Natoma near Sacramento.
