Aug. 4, 2005

Camden, N.J. - Mercyhurst won three gold medals and a bronze at the annual Knecht Cup hosted by Villanova Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17. Over 60 teams gathered at the banks of the Cooper River in Camden, New Jersey, for the competition.

The men's Varsity four (17-1) started the day's racing with a commanding display of power, moving out to an early lead and never letting up as they cruised to a comfortable victory over Vassar and Catholic.

Next up was the Varsity men's (4-1) eight, which also had an impressive race rowing a strong middle 1000meters to open up clear water between them and the rest of the field. Rowing at 34 strokes-per-minute, the crew was rowing with confidence crossing the finish line well ahead of the field. The men's lightweight eight had a strong race, but was unable to hold off a final push by St Joseph's University and finished third. A very good crew from the University of Delaware won the event by open water.

The match up of the weekend featured the NCAA's number one and two teams in the East Region. Mercyhurst ranked number two behind Dowling College had post-season implications, with the eventual winner winning a bid to the NCAA championships. In the varsity fours race the Lakers shook off a slow start that saw them last after 500 meters to move up through the field passing Dowling and finishing third and a place in the final. In the final, they just could not get things going and finished 6th behind a strong crew from Franklin Pierce.

The marquee event was in the varsity eights, with Mercyhurst, the defending Knecht Cup champions, and Dowling ranked ahead of them in the NCAA eights polls. From the start Dowling took an early lead before the Lakers moved ahead by the 500m taking a half-length lead. These two boats then separated themselves from the field, as it became a two-boat battle. As the boats fought it out down the course, Mercyhurst maintained its lead but was never able to break free going into the last 500 meters. As the finished approached, Dowling made a big push and moved ahead of the Lakers. But, Mercyhurst responded with a push of its own and regained the lead to win by three quarters of a length.

"Today's results were huge for us, especially given that we have only been on the water for six days", said head coach Adrian Spracklen. "We managed to right the ship this weekend and that will create some much-needed confidence and momentum heading into next week."

Next weekend the Lakers will travel to compete at the Indianapolis Invitational, before hosting Dowling College on Sunday. Sunday's race with Dowling will have considerable impact on the post season. "If we win next weekend it is probable that we will get a third consecutive NCAA bid. Next week is huge for us."