SAN DIEGO — UC San Diego men's rowing's first and second Varsity 8 boats each took top spot in their respective preliminary heats at the San Diego Crew Classic on Saturday, securing their spots in Sunday's Grand Finals. The Tritons' third Varsity 8 did not race on Saturday but will race Sunday, as their division's small field all advanced directly to the final.
 
The Varsity 8 boat took first in their heat with a time of 6:21.67, the fastest time of any collegiate Varsity 8 on the day. The Marist Red Foxes were the closest behind the Tritons in the heat by a margin of 2.75 seconds, with UCLA nearly six seconds off the pace in third. UC San Diego beat Purdue, who denied them first place at the most recent Crew Classic in 2019, by 6.41 seconds.
 
The second Varsity 8 was also the fastest in their division, winning their heat with a time of 6:28.53. It was Marist in second place behind the Tritons again, but by a much wider margin. There was open water between UC San Diego and the Red Foxes, who crossed the line 5.33 seconds behind.
 
The Tritons' wins put each boat into Sunday's Grand Final for their respective divisions. The Varsity 8 will compete against the University of San Diego, Marist, Gonzaga, and Bates College as well as a boat from Dutch rowing club A.S.R. Nereus for the Copley Cup Sunday morning. The Second Varsity 8 will race Purdue, Marist, Gonzaga, USD, and Marietta College for the Sharp Memorial Cup.
 
The Varsity 8's race is scheduled to start at 9:27 a.m., with the second Varsity 8 set to start at 11:03 a.m. The Tritons' third Varsity 8 will face MIT and Bates in their race, scheduled for 10:31 a.m. Sunday at Crown Point in Mission Bay.
 
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"Overall, it was a good day, but there's always a little bit more to be desired," Head Coach Sean McCrea said. "We've talked with both crews after the race today about what we want to improve for tomorrow, and I think everyone has got a good idea of how to do that as well … We're just looking forward to getting some rest and coming out tomorrow to finish off the weekend and hopefully make it a good weekend."
 
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Varsity 8: Tommy Morehouse (Cox), Archie McKirdy (8), Stuart Boynton (7), Thomas Wilson (6), Miko Brown (5), Michael Brown (4), Matt Schade (3), Kevork Tchakmakjian (2), Danny Jarotzky (1)
 
2^nd Varsity 8: Sam Feinberg (Cox), Leon Friedrichowitz (8), Ray Gazzo (7), Christopher Cox (6), Kevin Mead (5), Hayden McCormick (4), Jameson Godsey (3), Alex Francis (2), Felix Sorokine (1)
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.