For Immediate Release
Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net
Philadelphia, PA – Celebrating its 80th anniversary, the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO was given the best gift – an exciting two days of racing featuring plenty of local flavor tasting success. The weekend also featured a visit from Congressional Medal of Honor award winner Michael Thornton who presented four of the trophies to winning crews.
Highlighting the anniversary weekend was the Temple University Men’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight returning to the winner’s podium for the first time since 2004 along with Drexel University winning the women’s point trophy for the second consecutive year. The Drexel men’s and women’s teams contributed in their own way to lead the Dragons to their sixth consecutive overall points trophy (tying Purdue University for the most oval points trophy titles since 2003.
As the battle for the men’s varsity heavyweight eight crown reached the halfway point, the highly anticipated battle between Temple University and Saint Joseph’s University lived up to its billing as the local rivals battled for first. With approximately 150 meters remaining, the Owls kicked it into high gear as they pulled away and had nothing between them and victory except the open water.
Although the Hawks refused to go quietly, the lead built by the Owls was too big and Temple had their first win in the varsity heavyweight eight since 2004.
“It meant the world to me that these guys brought it home,” said Temple coach Brian Perkins. “We as a staff knew they could do it, but the men did not know yet. There were four guys in that boat who never even made a Dad Vail Final and now they hold the record for fastest V8 ever.”
On the women’s side, the Boston University Terriers made the most of their trip to the city of Philadelphia winning the Evelyn Bergman Cup, the women’s heavyweight varsity eight race for the first time in school history.
The University Delaware men’s program also enjoyed a banner day winning the Thomas Kerr Trophy (Men’s Point Trophy).
About Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University)
Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) is a leader in transdisciplinary, experiential professional education. Jefferson, home of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, is now a comprehensive university delivering high-impact education in 160 undergraduate and graduate programs to 7,800 students in architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion, health, medicine, science and textiles. The new Jefferson is reimaging the higher education value proposition with an approach that is collaborative and active; increasingly global; integrated with industry; focused on research across disciplines to foster innovation and discovery; and technology-enhanced. Student-athletes compete as the Jefferson Rams in the NCAA Division II Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
