Author: dadvail

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, PA (April 29 , 2020) – When preparing his schedule each year Boston University Lightweight women’s rowing coach Malcom Doldron ensures the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross and Coca-Cola will be part of the spring schedule for different reasons.

Coach Doldron sees the Dad Vail Regatta as a great venue for his crew team to prepare for the IRA National Championships. This is because the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta in North America, will have top competitive teams in every heat.

“Having a heat – final progression is invaluable,” said Doldron in a recent interview conducted on-line. “The Dad Vail serves as the culmination of the year for many programs, and the final tune up for crews heading into their spring championships in the coming weeks. The format adds the right amount of pressure and intensity to the moment, and at each level of the progression, our crews have the opportunity to reach another level of speed.”

With the intensity and pressure kicked up a notch, the Terriers answered the bell the first time in 2018 winning the Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight. The exhilaration of winning the Gold at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta increased the pressure on the following year’s team to defend the Gold. That was the case for the Terriers when they came to town looking to defend their coveted title. In front of a packed sun-soaked grandstand filled with screaming fans, the visitors had to fight off a pesky hometown Drexel crew which they were able to do thus capturing gold for the second consecutive season. “Winning a Dad Vail gold is an experience that I will cherish forever,” said junior coxswain Katie Barnett. “I will never forget racing under the bridge around halfway and calling our bow ball ahead of the other crews. As a lightweight crew, winning last year’s Heavyweight Eight women’s title demonstrated the resilience and tenacity of the crew I had the opportunity to race with. As a coxswain, I have to say rowing to the awards dock and being thrown in the water is one of the most memorable moments because we were all celebrating not only as a boat, but with our coach, Malcolm Doldron.”

“Winning gold at Dad Vails, once in the lightweight eight and twice in the heavyweight eight category, has been one of my favorite memories from my three championship seasons at BU,” said senior captain Sarah Maietta. “Competing with such strong programs at a historic and nationally renowned regatta was always incredibly thrilling to me, and then to win…simply put, I loved it every time.” As the weather started to turn for the better and the 82nd annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta was a mere three months away Coach Doldron had to gather his team to let them know the 2020 spring rowing season came to an abrupt ending due to the pandemic we know as CoVid19 – that forced the cancellation of all sports meaning that this BU Crew must wait until May, 2021 to defend their Dad Vail Title.

“We were actually in Clemson on our Spring training trip the day the Patriot league announced that spring seasons were cancelled,” said Doldron. “Since we were already on the water, we pulled all the boats together to break the news. What followed was the hardest conversation I’ve had with a team in over 25 years of coaching. While there was heart break, frustration, and disappointment of that moment, I saw an amazing sense of resilience and purpose from this group. Our team did exactly what we trained to do when things get difficult and uncomfortable: We trusted in, and relied upon, each other – Just like we did when we defended our Dad Vail Title.”

“As a senior, I wanted so much to have won gold at Dad Vails every spring of my career,” said Maietta “On the list of things I will miss from having this spring cut short, not racing at Dad Vails and defending our two heavyweight titles is close to the top.”

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
610-246-5902
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia – Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC) announced on July 2 the retirement of Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta General Manager Fran Connors.

Connors, who began his role as the General Manager in 2011 will be succeeded by Perry Hamilton who served as Assistant General Manager for this past year’s event that took place on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11.

On behalf of myself and the rest of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee we wish to express our deep appreciation to Fran and thank him for his years of service as General Manager,” Hanna said. “Fran is an accomplished professional and his contributions to the ongoing success of our Regatta were manifold.”

Hanna added, “We would also like to extend congratulations to Perry Hamilton who has been promoted to the position of General Manager filling the position vacated by Fran Connors. Perry has demonstrated a high level of commitment to Dad Vail during his six-month service as Assistant General Manager and he is zealous about his promotion.”

Although Connors is relinquishing his duties as General Manager, he is not leaving the Regatta. Connors was recently elected to the Dad Vail Regatta Board of Directors and will continue to chair the marketing efforts.

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
610-246-5902
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, PA (May 11, 2019) – The final day of the 81^stannual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO culminated in record fashion.

Although the premier events, the men’s and women’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight race, were not captured by any of the local participating schools, the Temple Owls won the Jack Bratton Trophy (Overall Team points) and the Jack & Nancy Seitz Trophy (Women’s Point Trophy) for the first time since 1996 and the Drexel Dragons won the Kerr Trophy (Men’s Point Trophy) for the first time since 2013.

Buoyed by the women, who rowed in the Dad Vail for the first time in five years, Temple University finished with 52 points due in large part to three victories by the women (JV Eight, Third Varsity Eight and JV Four) and two second place finishes by the men (Freshman/Novice Eight and Lightweight Eight). By finishing atop the standings for the overall point trophy, Temple snapped Drexel University’s six-year reign.

Boston University returned to Philadelphia to try and defend their Varsity Heavyweight Eight women’s crown. After finishing second out of 23 boats in the time trials to advance to the semi-finals, the Terriers assumed control winning their semi-final heat by nine seconds before coming back the following afternoon to win their second consecutive Varsity Heavyweight Eight title by holding off a feisty Drexel who tried to catch the Terriers but fell short in the end.

The men’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight race was being touted as a prize fight and the schools did not disappoint. In the end it was the Colgate Red Raiders who rowed to victory in record fashion  to claim the program’s first ever win in the premier event at the Dad Vail. Their time of 5:30.5 broke a course record. As the team’s fought hard to cross the finish line, the Drexel Dragons stormed back but the Raiders held off the fierce charge to claim victory.

Also enjoying fine performances were Saint Joseph’s who used a victory in the men’s third varsity eight to help the Hawks finish third in the men with 19 points. Mercyhurst University won five events that began with the Varsity Pair and concluded with Varsity Lightweight Eight with wins in the Men’s 2X, Men’s 4X and Men’s Varsity Lightweight Four sandwiched in between.

About: :http://www.jefferson.edu/university.html>
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 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. 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.

 

 

 

 

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
610-246-5902
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, PA (May 8, 2019)– The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee, host of the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO is pleased to announce the partnership with JB Productions to provide live streaming coverage of the races beginning on Friday, May 10 at 7:00 am continuing through the conclusion of racing on Saturday May 11.

To follow all the action, go to www.dadvail.organd click on the live stream link.

“The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee is pleased to have JB Productions return for another year and give collegiate rowers competing in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta the benefit of worldwide coverage through live streaming to family, friends and rowing fans,” said Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Organizing Committee.

There will be six cameras positioned along the course from start to finish. On select races, there will also be drone coverage providing aerial views. Accomplished rower and Dad Vail Board Member Brad Negaard along with fellow Dad Vail Regatta board member and Florida Tech Athletic Director Bill Jurgens will handle the announcing and commentary throughout both days of live stream coverage.

JB Productions has extensive experience live streaming rowing events in Philadelphia including the City Championships and Stotesbury Regatta.

The 81^stannual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be held on Friday, May 10 and Saturday May 11 will feature over 3,000 student-athletes from more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada.

 

About: :http://www.jefferson.edu/university.html>
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 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. 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.

 

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, PA  (May 8, 2019) – In preparation of the 81^stannual Jefferson Dad Val Regatta,  the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC) is pleased to announce the return of its Dad Vail Regatta mobile app.

The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO will be held on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 with races beginning at 7:00 AM each day.

The Dad Vail Regatta App will be available on both IOS and Android devices. For Apple IOS users, the app can be found in the app store under Dad Vail Regatta.  For Andriod users, the app can be found in the Google Play Store.

The mobile app allows you to access daily schedules, heat sheets, weather updates and regatta information.

For those who do not have access through the mobile app, please log onto www.dadvail.orgto access schedules, heat sheets, weather updates and other pertinent regatta information.

About: :http://www.jefferson.edu/university.html>
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 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. 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.

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, PA – As Taylor Roberts navigated her way down the 2,000-meter course at the 2018 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta passing the crowd lining the banks of the Schuylkill River, she tried to soak in the moment of rowing in the largest collegiate regatta.

As she crossed the finish line to become  the first para-rower to do it at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, the main thing Roberts began to think about is what she just accomplished and all of the people who made this experience possible, especially her coach Tim Nesselrodt.

“If it weren’t for my coach I would not be where I am today,” said Roberts, who was presented with a Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta medal upon completion. He has dedicated countless hours of time and effort into helping create new opportunities for me to compete and excel in the sport of para rowing. He is one of my biggest supporters and has never stopped advocating not only on my behalf, but also on behalf of all para rowers. Pushing for equality in sport is the hill he has chosen to die on and being able to represent him and his organization, Richmond Community Rowing, has meant the world to me, especially being able to do so in a prestigious regatta such as the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.”

Looking to grow this category and eventually have it count toward the overall point total, the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC) recently appointed Roberts as the para-rowing coordinator. 

“I didn’t expect the phone call or the opportunity at all, to be completely honest,” said Roberts when asked about being named para-rowing coordinator. “When they asked for my help, of course I didn’t hesitate to accept because I knew I wanted to recreate the same experience I had had the year prior for other athletes. Being able to be a part of the change and pursuit of sport equality has brought everything full circle and I’m unbelievably grateful for the opportunity.”

Roberts, who was injured in a car accident four years ago when another driver ran a stop sign and collided with her car. She sustained two fractures to her spine leaving her paralyzed 

from the waist down.

Roberts was 20 years old at the time of this traumatic event and worried that she wouldn’t be able to return to the active lifestyle she had been so accustomed to. That was, until she was introduced to rowing.  

“Nearly two years after my injury, I found rowing,” said Roberts. “Getting in a boat for the first time opened my eyes to a world of possibility. Up until that point, I had been weighed down by my disability, but rowing changed my perspective entirely. I was able to embrace my ability, instead of feeling limited by it. From that first day on, I began to accomplish things I never thought possible. One of which was being the first para rower in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.”

In the short time since Roberts has served as the Regatta’s para-rowing coordinator, she has played a major role in attracting several colleges, clubs and organizations to participate in the this year’s regatta including Athletes Without Limits, Capital Rowing, Row New York, Lake Braddock Crew, Washington College, George Mason University, Cleveland State University, Gordon College, Georgetown University and Seattle University.

“We are pleased that Taylor Roberts, who for the first time, last year, was our first participant to inaugurate para-rowing at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, is serving as Director of Para-Rowing,” said Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee.  “We are grateful to entrust to Taylor the leadership responsibilities attendant to initiating a new Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta endeavor. 

The 81^st annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO will be staged on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 on the banks of the historic Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

About: :http://www.jefferson.edu/university.html>
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 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. 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.

 

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Ed Levin

Publicity Director

Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta

levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, Pa (May 6, 2019) –The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC), organizers of the prestigious Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO are pleased to announce the winners of the 17th Annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest staged this spring for budding young artists attending Philadelphia area public, private and parochial schools. 

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee will present the cash awards at a press conference on Friday, 

May 10 at 9 a.m. amidst the opening races of the 81^st annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.

Jim Hanna said, “The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is far more than a regatta and it is our pleasure to reward these students and give them a chance to showcase their artistic talents by way of our art poster contest.”

The contest, which challenges Philadelphia area high school students to best depict the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, North America’s largest and best-known collegiate regatta has five categories of prizes; Grand Prize, First Place, Second Place, Third Place and Honorable Mention.

Members of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee, The School District of Philadelphia, the Office of Catholic Education comprised the judging committee of the artwork.

At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, Mayor Kenney will be presented with a Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee check from Hanna, by way of a donation for the city’s summer rowing program for inner city youngsters, an annual practice which has  been followed for over almost twenty years. 

This program seeks to expose Philadelphia high school students to some of the benefits of rowing; discipline, camaraderie, loyalty, exceptional physical conditioning and teamwork.

The Winners of the 2019 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest are:

Grand Prize

Justina Cahill, Archbishop Ryan 

First Place

Meghan Montoya, Archbishop Ryan

Second Place

Madolin Mast, Central High School

Third Place

Olivia C. Liebsh, Archbishop Wood

Honorable Mention

Valeria Ternavskaya, Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush

Jessica Mark, Central High School

Allison Beveridge, Archbishop Ryan

Abigail Woods, Archbishop Ryan

Ashley Hocking, Bishop Shanahan

Timothy Schluth, Archbishop Wood

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.

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

 

Philadelphia, PA – The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee has taken great pride during the course of its illustrious history for providing opportunities for start-up programs to compete in America’s largest collegiate regatta.

Adrian College, a Division III school that started Men’s and Women’s Rowing this year, is looking forward to competing in its first Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, which will be held on May 10 and May 11 and presented by Independence Blue Cross, PECO and Coca-Cola.

Nestled in the town of Adrian, Michigan, Adrian College is a small liberal arts school located approximately 45 minutes southwest of Ann Arbor. This year they became the first NCAA Division III institution based in Michigan and one of a handful in the Midwest to offer men’s and women’s rowing.

Wanting to set the bar high, the school hired Bart Thompson who immediately hit the ground running in hopes of building a competitive men’s and women’s program.

“Being able to start from scratch with a program has a lot of benefits,” said Thompson, a Michigan native and former collegiate rower at Stanford University. “I had the ability to decide from day one what kind of rowing stroke our athletes would use, what kind of equipment we would go with (boats, ergs, etc.), and, most importantly, what kind of culture we would have on our team.”

Thompson added, “One of my favorite sayings is, ‘Success is in the culture.’ Culture is easy to talk about but hard to create and sustain. It doesn’t show up in the win-loss column, and yet it’s written all over a program’s results. It is, in my opinion, the most important part of a program’s success. By coming in before the program officially began, I’ve since been able to make it clear to any person that steps foot on campus with the intention to row here the kind of rower and teammate that person needs to be if they want to be successful in this program. “

So, before an oar even splashed down in the water this past fall, Thompson had plenty of time to build a team and foster a culture he hoped would allow his young rowers to reap the benefits of growing together as one.

To date, the Bulldogs have had a strong first year of results, from their first regatta (in which the team collected five medals across the four events that it entered) to its most recent regatta (in which the all-freshmen Women’s Varsity 8+ made the Grand Finals, while the all-freshmen Men’s Varsity 8+ posted a top-6 time in both the heats and finals).

When looking at the spring rowing schedule, Thompson wanted his young team to experience an event he knows plenty about but never had the privilege of rowing during his career at Stanford.

“I’ve shared with my team that the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is the largest college-only regatta in the country,” said Thompson in a recent interview. “It is on a scale that many of them–the novices but even experienced high school rowers–will find unfathomable. It is held in Philadelphia, one of the preeminent rowing cities in the country and the world, on the iconic Schuylkill River. The competition will be the best that we have faced all year in every race we enter.”

Thompson added, “We’re incredibly honored to take place in such a prestigious regatta in our first year as a program. Many programs that have been around far longer than we have been have never had the opportunity to compete at Dad Vails; many rowers will row their entire college career and never row in this event, so the opportunity to do it right away is one that we don’t take lightly.”

The 81^stannual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be staged on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 on the historic Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

 

About: :http://www.jefferson.edu/university.html>
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 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. 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.

Contact:
Ed Levin
Director of Publicity
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net
610-246-5902

The 81^st annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO is almost here as over 100 schools and 3,000 rowers from across the United States and Canada converge on the historic Schuylkill River in Philadelphia on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11.

Temple University returns to defend the Varsity Heavyweight Eight Men’s title while Boston University will look to defend the Varsity Heavyweight Eight Women’s title. Another local team in Drexel looks to claim the Overall Points and Women’s Points Trophies while the University of Delaware will be back to defend the Men’s Points Trophy.

Here are the details:

Dates: Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11

Admission: Free

Times: The Friday races run from 7:00 am to. 6:00 pm. Saturday’s races will run from 7:00 am to 5 pm.

The Course: The 2,000 meters long race course start line is just north of the Kelly Drive-Hunting Park Avenue intersection. The course ends at the Grand Stand finish line just above the Columbia Avenue Bridge.

Award Ceremonies: All award ceremonies will take place on Saturday at the finish line dock as each championship race concludes. The winning team will take the podium while the second and third place crews will receive medals in their shell at the finish line dock.

Race Schedule & Results: Race results can be found on www.dadvail.org or by downloading the Dad Vail Regatta app which can be found in the App store for IOS and Android devices.

Where to watch:  Best place to watch is at the finish line grandstand but you can also view the races along the banks of the Schuylkill River throughout the 2,000-meter course. If cannot make the event all the races will be streamed at www.dadvail.org.

Transportation: Free Shuttle bus service is available to and from the race course on Kelly Drive from 6:00AM until 7:00PM on both Friday and Saturday. This service is free of charge and will pick up from, and return spectators to, the event parking lots as well as the Philadelphia Art Museum. The Art Museum, a short walk from downtown Philadelphia, is also accessed by SEPTA Routes 32 and 38, and is near historic Boathouse Row.

If you drive, plan on parking your vehicle in the event lots provided in historic Fairmount Park. To access parking, follow the directions to Kelly Drive elsewhere on this site. Once on Kelly Drive, there will be signs posted to the remote parking areas. Shuttle buses will pick you up in the parking areas. You will be minutes from the race course and Rower’s Village.

If you walk from Center City or take public transportation (Septa Routes 32 and 38), shuttle buses will pick you up at 25th Street and Kelly Drive (gold equestrian statue of St. Joan of Arc). Walking from Center City, go to the right (north) of the Art Museum. Don’t forget to stop at the Rocky Statue or run up the Art Museum steps like Rocky. Proceed another block along Kelly Drive to 25th Street (gold equestrian statue of St. Joan of Arc). Once on the bus, after passing historic Boathouse Row, you can get off at Rower’s Village and then walk approximately ½ mile to the finish line or stay on the bus, proceed through the parking areas and get off at the Canoe Club (mid race), the 500 meter mark (final quarter) or the finish line.

The Jefferson Dad Vail Shuttle Buses will be marked “Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta” and will be either double decker London style buses or trolley style buses.

Road Closures: From 10:00 am on Thursday, May 9 until 7:00 pm on Saturday, May 11, Kelly Drive will close from Strawberry Mansion Bridge to Fountain Green.

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

Philadelphia, PA – When it comes to the Men’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight race at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, Temple University has been synonymous with winning.

Throughout the 80-year history of the event, the Owls have stroked their way to victory 21 times including a Dad Vail record of 13 consecutive victories from 1989 – 2001.

One of the reasons behind their success was the consistency in leadership with Dr. Gavin White steering the team for 37 years before stepping aside in 2016 when assistant coach Brian Perkins ’92 took the helm.

Since taking over, Perkins has quietly built Temple back into the perennial force it had become during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. In 2016, Perkins helped to lead the Owls to a bronze medal in the Varsity Heavyweight Eight at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta and has also seen his crews win the San Diego Crew Classic and earn multiple trips to the IRA National Championships.

Following a disappointing 2017 campaign, the Owls returned to the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta last year hoping to make some noise. After advancing to the Grand Finale in the men’s penultimate event, the Owls won their first gold medal since 2004 and did so in record time (5:34.409) defeating local foe Saint Joseph’s University and Colgate.

“We had these big diverse groups of seniors come through the program in 2016 and 2017 that reacted wildly different,” Perkins said. “The 2018 crew just made a decision to trust the process and take every race as a learning opportunity. They got a little better and a little closer every week and the confidence just built. They were a fun group to work with. Winning meant the world as these guys who worked so hard were able to reap the reward finally and leave their mark on the history of Temple Crew.”

“Winning the varsity heavyweight eight last year meant more to me than any victory or loss I’ve had in my rowing career,” said senior Stephen Daniel Gennaro, who rowed in the bow seat “We climbed the ladder all season, inching our way to the top week by week, second by second, and on Dad Vail Saturday we proved to everyone what we already knew.”

For the first time since 2004 Temple will enter the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta as the defending Varsity Heavyweight Eight champions and they realize if they want to defend their title they will have to fight off their opponents who will no doubt bring their best.

“We try to train to a standard and not really worry about outcomes,” said Perkins, who has only 3 returners from last year’s Heavyweight Eight Varsity boat. “What we did last year worked, so there is comfort in the process if we execute.”

Junior Nicholas Carbonaro added, “In terms of our expectations and our thoughts going into Dad Vails, they are staying the same. Go out there and race like it the last time we will ever have an oar in our hand. Outside of that, I think the team acknowledges the success of last year and how awesome it was to be a part of It, but we are interested in creating our own legacy. Every year we try to acknowledge our success but not be satisfied, we are always hungry for more.”

The 81^st annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, PECO and Coca-Cola will be staged on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 on the historic Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

About: :http://www.jefferson.edu/university.html>
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 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. 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.