BULLDOGGED: FIT Edged By Defending IRA Champs

Henley-on-Thames, England — Passing through the Henley Royal Regatta finish line, the slumped shoulders of Florida Tech told the story.  There weren’t tears.  Just pure exhaustion.

FIT made a valiant effort in its second round race in Henley’s Temple Challenge Cup on Thursday, powering down the River Thames to take a slight lead midway through, but it wouldn’t be enough against the Yale lightweight eight — the defending IRA national champions. 

“We did everything right and we lost,” said Plamen Ivanov, the boat’s sophomore 4 seat.  “We just experienced what it’s like to race at a world-class level and get pinched.”

Yale topped FIT by a 1/2 length with a winning time of 6 minutes, 24 seconds.  It was the second-fastest mark of the day in the Temple Challenge Cup behind only Cal-Berkley’s freshmen eight (6:21), the competition's favorite.

“We lost with pride,” said Jonas Karalius, FIT’s sophomore stroke.

Following the race, head coach Jim Granger stood encircled by his oarsmen — Karalius and Ivanov, along with Alec Bertossa (bow), Troy Toggweiler (2 seat), Frank Campione (3 seat), Spencer Freeman (5 seat), David Crooke (6 seat), Mingdaugas Beliauskas (7 seat) and coxswain Casey Dalal — and proudly said, “It was a strong row.  You were a half-length off a national champion boat.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Yale was warned twice for errant steering into FIT’s lane on the Thames’ tight two-lane course — once at the start and again with approximately 500 meters left to go. 

Florida Tech tied for the fastest time of the day at the Thames’ barrier (1:46) and the second-fastest time into Fawley (3:05).  Yale, however, increased its stroke rate over the second half of the race and gained control.  It was an impressive performance that the Bulldogs will look to build on heading into tomorrow’s meeting with Harvard’s freshmen eight. 

“We came out swinging big and took a run at it,” said Campione, a FIT sophomore.  “I’d go as far as to say that that was our best piece of the year.  That was just a very good crew.”

With a varsity eight composed of one junior, six sophomores and one senior, Florida Tech’s oarsmen will return intact next year.  Their season will revolve around avenging this year’s second-place finish at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta.  By capturing gold at Dad Vail in 2012, a return trip to Henley could be ahead.

The team’s lone senior, coxswain Casey Dalal, sees a bright future.

“First of all, this trip assures that they’ll be in shape next fall,” said the varsity eight’s four-year cox.  “It’s never good to lose but we know we lost today because (Yale) was very fast and that will ultimately serve as great motivation to reach that elite level.  There are some good freshmen coming in next year, too, so the competition to get in that boat or stay in that boat will be extremely high.  That, alone, will make them faster.  I definitely think the only place they’re going is up.”

It’s one of the harsh realities of rowing; sometimes the other boat is just better.  It’s up to the losing crew whether to get stronger or accept losing.

It’s quite clear which crew Florida Tech is.

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