CHERRY HILL, N.J. –  Florida Tech men's rowing hit the water for the opening day of the 2025 IRA National Championship Regatta at the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.
 
The regatta began Friday morning with a time trial. The shell recorded the 10th-fastest time (06:10.943) out of 39 crews, securing a spot in the afternoon semifinals. In a highly competitive field, just four seconds separated the fourth through 12th-place finishers.
 
The Panthers were placed in the semifinal three, going up against Drexel, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, and Cornell. The top two advance to the grand final, while the third and fourth place finishers advance to the petite final, and the fifth and sixth place finishers compete in the 'C' final.
 
The Panthers had a challenging start, settling into fifth position early in the race. Around the 1,000-meter mark, they closed the gap on Drexel, who held fourth. However, in the final 500 meters, Drexel found another gear and pulled ahead, holding off the Panthers down the stretch. Despite the early setback, the Panthers maintained their lead over Cornell to secure fifth place.
 
The top three finishers were a fight to the finish, with Harvard taking first in 6:18.920 and Pennsylvania (6:19.760) slightly edging out Dartmouth (6:19.910). Drexel (6:26.470), Florida Tech (6:30.980), and Cornell (6:33.760) rounded out the heat.
 
Varsity 4+
4 / Sandro Gardella
3 / Hugo Ruzicka
2 / Domantas Marocka
1 / Omer Bayram  
Coxswain / Alex Doeringer-Smith
 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will close out the IRA Championships in the Varsity 4+ 'C' Final at the Cooper River Saturday, May 1, at 2:32 p.m.
 
 
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech men's rowing team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.