Henley: UW Advances To Temple & Visitors' Finals
HENLEY-ON-THAMES, U.K. – Washington's two remaining men's crews won their semifinal races Saturday at the Royal Henley Regatta. Huskies will compete for The Temple Challenge Cup and the Visitors' Challenge Cup Sunday.
The UW beat a crew from Durham University in The Temple Challenge Cup semifinal, crossing the finish line about three-quarters of a length ahead of the British crew.
In Sunday's final, set to begin 3:40 a.m. PT, Washington will be matched with an Oxford Brookes crew, from nearby Oxford, England. In 2018, the last time UW went to Henley, the Huskies beat an Oxford Brookes crew in the final.
This year, 32 crews made the final field of The Temple Challenge Cup. Washington also won the trophy in 2010 and 2012.
In UW's Visitors' Challenge Cup semifinal win came vs. a four from Thames Rowing Club & Leander Club. That Husky crew, comprised of four members of the UW's 2022 varsity eight, took the lead early on, but the race was close throughout.
In the final 100 meters, the Huskies countered a strong move from the British rowers and beat them by, officially, two-thirds of a length.
Washington will face another British four – from Tideway Scullers School and Molesey Boat Club. That race is scheduled for 4:50 a.m. PT.
The Huskies have won The Visitors' Challenge Cup just once in the 175-year history of the event, earning the trophy in 1977.
Five UW alumni competed Saturday. In The Grand Challenge Cup, three Huskies – Chris Carlson '19, Andrew Gaard '19 and Pieter Quinton '22 – rowed for the U.S. National Team, competing as California R.C. & Penn A.C. That crew lost to a British crew, Thames R.C. and Leander Club, in its semifinal.
Jessica Thoennes '18, rowing for the U.S. women's eight under the name Princeton T.C. and ARION, lost to Imperial College London & Leander, in a Remenham Challenge Cup semifinal.
However, UW alum Peter Lancashire '21, stroking the Leander Club crew in The Ladies' Challege Plate, helped his crew to a win over Yale in his semifinal. Sunday, Leander will row against the University of California eight in the final, beginning at 7:50 a.m. PT.
UW Lineups For Friday Races:
Temple Challenge Cup (M8+)
Cox: Zach Casler (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor)
Stroke: Quinn Cooney (Kirkland, Wash./Tesla STEM)
7: Blake Bradshaw (Auckland, New Zealand)
6: Nils Vorberg (Hamburg, Germany)
5: Robert Pluijmert (Dieren, The Netherlands)
4: Pablo Matan (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine Prep)
3: Harry Fitzpatrick (Auckland, New Zealand)
2: Quinn Hall (Chester Springs, Pa./Malvern Prep)
Bow: Max Heid (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep)
The Visitors' Challenge Cup (M4-)
Stroke: Jack Walkey (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
3: Logan Ullrich (Auckland, New Zealand)
2: Gert-Jan van Doorn (Leiden, The Netherlands)
Bow: Mattijs Holler (Vienna, Austria)