Halfway through Dartmouth heavyweight rowing’s 2,000 meter race on the Charles River this Saturday, Boston University’s first varsity eight boat was nowhere in sight. Just a few minutes earlier, though, the boats were neck and neck with Dartmouth trailing behind.
“The Boston University crew got off the line very quickly and jumped out to a five seat lead,” head coach Wyatt Allen said. “Our guys did a really nice job of absorbing that and trusting their rhythm.”
With their rhythm in full flow, the Big Green created a sizable gap during the latter half of the race and never looked back, winning their race against the Terriers by 13 seconds.
“When we broke open water on the B.U. crew, it helped us maintain composure,” Miles Hudgins ’25 said. “We knew that we could still maximize our output without them next to us, and we leaned into the effort in the second 1000 meters.”
The victory earned Dartmouth their fourth consecutive Bill Cup trophy, granted to the winner of the Dartmouth-Boston University first varsity eight race. The second varsity eight followed suit with a dramatic victory in their race, edging out the Terriers by two seconds. The third varsity eight completed the sweep in their matchup to cap off a successful Saturday for the Big Green, who jumped to third place in the Intercollegiate Rowing Assocation’s rankings.
The conditions on the Charles River were expected to be windy and cold throughout the day, posing a challenge to the rowers. However, Hudgins said the Big Green “spent a lot of time preparing for the weather mentally and on the water,” and on race day, the “chop was more manageable than expected.”
The bigger roadblock was the intense cold that caused many “numb hands” on the team. Although the lack of finger freedom made the boat tougher to control, the rowers overcame the hurdle.
“The cold had an intense adverse effect on our connection to the boat,” Hudgins said. “But it’s easy to overcome this challenge when you realize that the other crew is dealing with the same adversity.”
The team opened their season last weekend against Yale University, where a mere two second victory by the first varsity eight gave Dartmouth their first Olympic Axe in the race’s 21-year history. The historic result gave the team a boost heading into Boston, but they knew of their high potential far before the season started. Even though their season started last weekend, the success behind it started years ago.
“The most important factor in our success against Boston Universite was the training our athletes have undergone over the past several years,” Hudgins said. “The winter training block specifically had a lot of upside, with most of our athletes hitting personal bests.”
Along with the preparation from winter and beyond, Allen attributed the early season success to experience and leadership from captains William Bender ’25 and Munroe Robinson ’25.
“Our captains have done a great job of leading the group and setting the tone,” Allen said. “They've been supported by their classmates in a really positive way; so the hard work over the winter and the senior leadership has set us up for success.”
The focus through the team’s winter preparation and on-water training has been group cohesion. Every boat, from the first varsity eight to the fifth varsity eight, requires communication. Moreover, with the rowers in the lower-ranked boats expected to climb the ranks as they become more experienced, every team practices with anticipatory intensity.
“Right now our focus is continuing to mesh as a crew and get comfortable applying synchronous power,” Hudgins said. “There are several athletes in the 2V that have the opportunity to make an impact in the varsity eight, and only time will tell if they end up in it.”
For the coaching unit, each race also provides an opportunity to see how a crew works together. In practice, coaches can use this new data point to adjust squads and optimize each boat.
“Certain guys are rounding into form now a couple weeks into the racing season,” Allen said. “We're trying different combinations and seeing if we can find faster lineups.”
The cohesion the team is cultivating on the water stems from their connection off the water. The culture, defined by collective hard work and encouragement, is felt instantly by new members of the team such as Benjamin Lee ’27.
“It's a great group of guys who all show up and put in the work — being around that energy makes you want to go harder,” Lee said. “Everyone pushes each other, and it’s addicting in the best way.”
The team will look to continue their hot start at the Lake Morey invite in Fairlee, Vt., on April 26 and 27. Among the competition is ninth-ranked Syracuse University, which is a highlight on the team’s calendar.
“We want to beat Syracuse,” Hudgins said. “They have been consistent rivals in my four years here, overtaking us by .04 seconds at Eastern Sprints last year and narrowly as well at the national championship.”
Based on the first two weekends of racing, Syracuse and the four other competing schools — Boston University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Georgetown University and Columbia University — should be shaking in their boats.
