The men’s and women’s fall crew seasons concluded at the Head of the Occoquan regatta this past weekend. With some standout novice performances and overall improved health, the team placed top three in the collegiate men’s and women’s 8+, the novice men’s 8+ and the collegiate men’s 4+.

Two of Georgetown’s men’s boats posted the top two times in the men’s novice 8+ with a first-place time of 16:16.68 and the second boat trailing by only 3.64 seconds.

“On the lightweight side, a big goal for this year is to make the second boat much faster than it was relative to the first last year,” Lightweight Varsity Coach Lee Rumpf said.

For Rumpf, this weekend’s regatta was evidence that the lightweight team’s overall level of performance is improving.

With a time of 17:19.16, the men’s lightweight four won the event.

“They did in the spirit of the team. They made a conscious decision to unify,” Rumpf said.

Of the four Georgetown women’s boats to compete in the collegiate eight event, two boats came in the top five, with times of 18:00.05 and 18:08.81.

Going into the races at the Head of the Occoquan with only nine freshmen and eight varsity on the men’s side increased the competitive pressure for the Hoyas.

“Our numbers are small, so our margin is very slim,” Head Coach Luke Agnini said. “With that comes challenges, but everyone has stayed really positive and really cohesive.”

Sporadic injuries and a limited number of rowers made Agnini approach the season as an opportunity for development.

“The freshmen fell victim to a lot of health issues at the Head of the Charles. I think they have finally had a little bit more juice,” Agnini said. “The more experienced guys are a little bit healthier, and it showed because the results were better than they had been. It showed who can be a difference maker.”

By keeping the freshmen and varsity rowers separate until after this weekend’s races, the team found their strengths and weaknesses.

“I am really happy we stuck with the plan,” Agnini said. “I was kind of throwing them into the pit. I wanted to see how the guys responded. Overall, they did a good job.”

Looking forward into the spring season, Agnini is hopeful for a big success.

“I just want us to consistently learn how to win. The sky’s the limit. That’s how we want to approach it,” Agnini said.