It’s been 10 years since the University of Washington men’s rowing team could call themselves national champions. At the 105th IRA Championships held May 31-June 2 in Camden, N.J., the Huskies completed their first undefeated season and captured their first national title since 1997.

UW brought home gold medals in the grand final of the men’s first varsity eight, men’s second varsity eight, and men’s open four events. The men’s freshman eight took third-place behind California and Brown.

Head Coach Bob Ernst couldn’t be more proud of his team. “We had high expectations going in,” he said. “I thought we had a pretty good team and everybody was healthy and ready to go.”

Washington’s No. 1-seeded varsity eight boat moved through the heats and semifinals with top finishes. The final was a tight race the entire length of the Cooper River course. Stroking even with Harvard through the halfway mark, the Huskies made their move and gained about a seat lead. They crossed the line in a 5:33.16, followed by Stanford and Harvard in a dead heat at 5:34.12. Brown finished fourth in a 5:34.98, followed by Cal and Princeton. The UW lineup consisted of coxswain Katelin Snyder, Will Crothers, Heath Allen, Aljosa Corovic, Rob Gibson, David Worley, Steve Full, Jessiah Johnson, and Max Lang.

“The crew kept their mental edge. They did a good job staying relaxed and focused,” said sophomore coxswain and 2006 Under 23 National Team member Katelin Snyder. “The guys knew we needed to execute the same kind of thing that we have been doing in the previous races. This was what we’ve been working for all year—the perfect peak. It’s just a really good feeling to have put forth your best race of the season,” she said.

“It worked out to be a pretty young bunch, but with five world champions in the boat, it was a really good group as far as good racing experience goes,” said Ernst. “If you come here with the expectation to win, you still have to beat the other guys. Seeding is nice, but the bottom line is you have to race three times in three days.”

Although sophomore Jessiah Johnson admitted that preparing for Saturday’s grand final was a nerve-wracking experience, he was proud to be a part of it. The two-time junior national team member and 2006 Under 23 National Team member rowed two-seat in the varsity eight.

 “Knowing that everyone is looking at you—it puts you in the spotlight. Personally, I think I was the most nervous I have ever been for any race. I was sitting in the hotel that morning and couldn’t think of anything else,” said Johnson. “It was an exciting experience. Overall, it was a very successful weekend, and we rowed really well. We did what we needed to do, kept control, and rowed our own race.”

Johnson plans to spend his summer at Dartmouth, training for the Under 23 National Team that will race July 27-29 in Strathclyde, Scotland. Several of his teammates also have plans to take rowing to the next level. A few others are taking a year off to train for their home Olympic teams.

Although mostly underclassmen, the varsity eight is certainly not lacking in international experience. Along with Johnson, who was a gold medalist in the eight at the 2005 Junior World Championships, four of his teammates hold similar titles. Lang, Gibson, and Crothers won gold for the Canadian men’s eight in the 2006 Under 23 World Championships. Snyder coxed the U.S. women’s eight to a gold medal in the 2006 Under 23 World Championships.

“This is a great group of guys with a common goal to make a really fast boat, but we also have a lot of fun,” said Johnson. “I am looking forward to next fall. We have a lot of depth,¬ with talented people coming up from the freshman boat. It should make for a good season.”

Washington proved its depth in the results of the weekend’s racing, taking home the Jim Ten Eyck Memorial Trophy for most overall points. The Huskies finished with 216 points, followed by Harvard with 191 points and Cal with 190.
In the final of the second varsity eight, Washington grabbed the top spot after fighting off Wisconsin for the gold medal. UW clocked a 5:43.02, more than a second faster than the Badgers’ time of 5:44.73. Cornell finished third in a 5:47.72, followed by Harvard, Cal, and Brown.

Ernst relied on his staff for the details of the second varsity eights race, after a spill on his bike took him out of commission in the last 200 meters. “The coaches told me we won,” said Ernst. “I’m just glad I wore my helmet this year.” The flat tire didn’t stop him from making it back up to the start to watch his varsity eight race two events later.

The Huskies’ IRA appearance was rounded off with a gold medal in the final of the men’s open four event and bronze in the men’s freshman eight. “The caliber of rowing has gotten more and more intense in the last decade,” said Ernst. “I am really pleased that Stanford finished as well as they did; tying Harvard for second-place is great.  It’s a great statement for the capabilities of the Pac-10 coaches.”

According to Ernst, the future of Washington rowing looks bright. “I think about next year all the time,” said Ernst. “Fortunately, we have a lot of young guys, and it might be somebody else’s opportunity next year.”

Snyder is also looking forward to next year and agrees that it will be an exciting one. “There will be a much different group racing,” she said. “We set the bar pretty high this year, and it will be interesting to see where the new group can go.”