Last weekend was a strong one for the GW crew teams at the Head of the Occoquan in Virginia. The men’s varsity capped off the fall season with an impressive win in the men’s championship eight event. The GW men won the event convincingly with a time of 14:42.90, while the Shipley Rowing Club placed second (14:51.50). Varsity men’s head coach Gene Kininmonth said he felt that this race was a step in the right direction for the team.

We are still a long way from where we need to be in the spring, but this is a solid way to end our fall season, Kininmonth said.

In the men’s novice eight event, GW `A’ team placed ninth with a time of 16:40.10 while GW’s `B’ team took 14th (17:18.70). The U.S. Military Academy `A,’ which posted a time of 15:42.60, won the event followed by the University of Pittsburgh and the U.S. Military Academy’s `B’ boat.

The men also had a strong showing in the men’s club eight event, won by the Alexandria Boat Club (15:09.90). The GW men took a solid fifth with a time of 15:40.50.

On the women’s side, the novice women, competing in their first collegiate race, won the women’s novice eight race. GW’s `A’ boat took the top spot with a time of 17:14.40, followed by the University of Maryland (17:52.20). GW `B’ captured fourth place in the event with a solid time of 18:04.80.

In the women’s club eight event, Capital Rowing Club crossed the finish line first with a time of 17:00.70, while GW finished a close second (17:06.90).

Women’s coach Steve Peterson said he was happy with how his second boat finished.

The second varsity eight really rowed well, Peterson said. We have made real improvements in technique and rhythm over the past weeks and it was a nice way to finish off the fall.

The first varsity eight had a very busy Saturday, competing in two races. In the morning the team raced the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., in a race won by Navy by two seconds. Then, the team hopped in a van and drove to the Occoquan to race in the afternoon. In the women’s championship eight event, George Mason won with a time of 16:41.00, followed the College of William & Mary and Army. GW officially came in fifth place with a time of 17:16.05, despite actually finishing the race in the fastest time. GW missed the start of their rae because of problems launching and were assessed a 60-second penalty.

They, too, are rowing extremely well, probably better then any crew I have coached here at GW, Peterson said.