Category: 2026 News Release

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

While America prepares to celebrate the 250^th birthday of the country the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of women competing in an event that was exclusive to men from 1934 until 1976. In 1976, the first-year women competed at the Dad Vail, Ithaca College, who just introduced rowing at the school one year earlier, had the distinct honor of capturing the Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight. To celebrate this milestone, these first female winners of, will return to the regatta this year.

Additionally, the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee is pleased to announce the creation of a new men’s and women’s points trophy for small boats teams that compete each event excluding the Varsity 8+). These point trophies will be awarded to those programs who only compete in the small boat events (i.e., singles, pairs, doubles, fours) and accumulate the most points.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will receive four automatic qualifiers for the Intercollegiate Rowing Association’s (IRA) Men’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight. The IRA event is limited to 24 entries.

“This will be an exciting year for the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta,” said Kirsten Morasco, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee. “We are excited to celebrate the milestone of women competing in such a prestigious event and we are honored the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is an automatic qualifier for the 2026 IRA National Championship.”

The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be staged this year on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey on Friday, May 8 and Saturday May 9. All the exciting action will be available on our live stream link. To view, please go to www.dadvail.org.

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

For some crews, the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is the culmination of their spring season. University of Tampa is one of those teams who come to the Philadelphia area looking to end their season on a high note.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising when you walk into the boat cage and see the chalkboard with a simple message; “Countdown to Dad Vail”.

“The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is our championship,” said coach Bill Dunlap, who has been at the helm since 1981 and fields a roster comprised with mainly walk-ons. “Although we are considered an NCAA team, we do not offer scholarships so without recruiting we can’t really compete with the heavily funded NCAA teams. We are fortunate that our Athletic Department recognizes this and allows us to focus on a non-NCAA racing format as much as possible such as small boats and races like SIRA and Dad Vail.”

With the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta less than a week away, the Spartans are in final preparation for defense of their Women’s DII/DIII Varsity 4 title which they have won the past two years.

“To win another title with these girls in this boat would be a meaningful way to close out my senior year,” senior Jenna Manning, who was the stroke last year. “For me, it’s not all about finishing first. I would consider it a success if after my last race we feel like we gave everything we had, no matter the result, and had a strong row down the course. Rowing for the University of Tampa has been such an amazing experience that I will always reflect on throughout my lifetime.”

Dunlap echoed the sentiments of Manning, “I don’t consider my job to be winning boat races. My job is to help our rowers have the best experience they can. One that they will carry with them all their lives. Striving to be as fast as possible is a means towards that end but not the end itself. Seeing our team grow from a handful to the 25 to 30 we have now without paying people to be on the team is very satisfying. If our boats come off the water feeling they rowed a good race, then that’s success. We can’t do anything about how fast someone else goes.”

One of the schools in the path of the Spartans will be their neighbor Rollins College. The two teams have raced twice this spring with each school winning once.

To accompany the DII/DIII Varsity 4+, the Spartans will bring a Frosh/Novice Women’s 4, a Women’s Lightweight 4, a Women’s Pair and a Women’s quad (4x). This will allow UTAMPA to qualify for the Women’s Small Boats Overall National Championship Trophy. This point trophy will be awarded to the team that does not bring a Varsity Eight and accumulates the most points within the smaller boats (Quad, Pair or single).   

The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be staged this year on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey on Friday, May 8 and Saturday May 9. All the exciting action will be available on our live stream link. To view, please go to www.dadvail.org

 

 

 

 

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

Annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest Winners to Be Announced

The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC), organizers of the prestigious Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta are pleased to announce the winners of the 24th annual Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest staged this spring for budding young artists attending area high schools.

The 87th annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be held on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 on the Cooper River in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.

Kirsten Morasco, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee said, “We are once again excited and honored to showcase the artistic talent of our area high school students by hosting our annual art poster contest. The students work hard and produce such detailed work that beautifully depicts the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.”

Morasco along with Aaron Chang, President of Jefferson Health New Jersey will announce the winners and the cash awards at a press conference on Friday May 8 at 9 AM. To be convened at the Camden County Boathouse amidst the first day of races for the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.

State Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, State Assemblywoman Melinda Kane, Assemblyman Bill Moen, Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr., County Commissioner Jeff Nash will be offering their own brief remarks along with the following local mayors: Collingswood Mayor Solano Ward, Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher, Pennsauken Mayor Patrick Olivo and Haddon Township Mayor Randy Teague.

The Art Poster contest, which challenges area high school students to best depict the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, one of the largest and best-known collegiate regatta, has five categories of prizes: Grand Prize, Second Place, Third Place and Honorable Mention. This year’s contest featured co-grand prize winners. Members of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee and distinguished rowers and artists comprised the judging committee.

The Winners of the 2025 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest are:

Grand Prize
Claire Dixon, Cherry Hill East & Alex Vena, Archbishop Ryan

Second Place
McKayla Moore, Archbishop Ryan

Third Place
Jessica Long, Archbishop Ryan

Honorable Mention
Athira Kasthuri, Cherry Hill East
Aubrey McGovern, Archbishop Ryan
Scarlett Roase Stec, Archbishop Ryan
Keira Merrigan, Archbishop Ryan
Yenny Pimentel, Archbishop Ryan
Miabella Galenti, Archbishop Ryan

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

In 2025, Brendan Cunningham cemented his place among the top rising leaders in collegiate rowing, earning the Matt Ledwith Coach of the Year honors at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta. The recognition followed a remarkable season in which Cunningham guided Temple’s men’s crew back to national prominence and reestablished the program’s historic standard of excellence.

In just his second year at the helm of his alma mater, Cunningham orchestrated a resurgence. Temple’s varsity eight captured its first Dad Vail title since 2021, edging a highly competitive field in a thrilling grand final.

The victory was part of an impressive overall showing, with multiple Temple boats earning gold medals and the program consistently competing at a national level.

That success carried into the postseason, where Temple placed three boats in the national top 20 at the IRA National Championships – a significant benchmark of depth and competitiveness. Cunningham’s squad also gained international experience, as both the varsity eight and a four represented the program at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta.

Beyond the results, Cunningham’s impact has been rooted in culture. A former Temple rower himself, he emphasized athlete ownership, accountability, and daily improvement – principles that resonated throughout the roster.

The Matt Ledwith Coach of the Year honor reflects not only competitive achievement but also leadership and program development. For Cunningham, it underscores a rapid transformation built on both tradition and innovation, and signals that Temple crew is once again a force on the Schuylkill River.

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

Drexel Director of Rowing and women’s head coach Paul Savell has been selected as the Kate Godwin Award recipient as the 2026 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Coach of the Year. The Kate Godwin Award is presented annually to a Dad Vail coach who has a distinguished record of accomplishment and who personifies character traits worthy of emulation in a quest to encourage student athletes to uphold the highest traditions and practices.

Now in his 19th season with the program, Savell has led the Dragons to national success at some of the most prestigious regattas in collegiate rowing, including the IRA National Championships, Henley Royal Regatta, Henley Women’s Regatta and Dad Vail Regatta.

Under Savell’s leadership, the Dragons have captured ten overall team titles at the Dad Vail Regatta, including Drexel’s first-ever championship in 2013. The men’s team has claimed eight titles, while the women secured back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. Most recently, Drexel has won the men’s title in four consecutive seasons, with both programs contributing to back-to-back overall titles in 2024 and 2025.

Since taking over in 2007, Savell has led Drexel to remarkable success at the Dad Vail Regatta, with the Dragons capturing 55 gold medals on the men’s side and 35 on the women’s side. Overall, Savell has coached Drexel crews to 90 of the program’s 111 all-time Dad Vail medals, including all but one in women’s program history. The men’s Varsity 8+ has captured gold at the Regatta five times, including three straight from 2022-24, while the women have  claimed the top spot four times, including back-to-back gold medals in 2024 and 2025.

Additionally, Savell was named the 2019 CAA Coach of the Year following the women’s two gold medal performances at the conference championships. In 2025, the Dragons captured gold at the CAA Championships for the first time since 2022, with the Varsity 4+ handing Northeastern its first loss in any CAA Championship race since the 2022 season.

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

 

The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee, host of the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is pleased to announce Five Tribes Cinema Productions will once again provide exciting live streaming coverage of the races beginning on Friday, May 8 at 7:30 AM continuing through the conclusion of racing on Saturday, May 9.

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

“The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee is more than excited to have Five Tribes Cinema Productions provide exceptionally fine quality live stream coverage for the fourth consecutive year! Their own rowing experience accompanied by their production talent enable family, friends, and rowing fans of the collegiate rowers competing in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta to enjoy the race day excitement via a live streaming platform” said Kirsten Morasco, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee.

“We are thrilled to renew our contract with the Dad Vail Regatta for our 4th year!” said Colin Stewart, President of Five Tribes Productions. “As the regatta continues to grow, especially this year with many West Coast teams making the trip to the Cooper, we want to ensure that our coverage quality is the best it can be while making the regatta as accessible as possible. We are proud to work with a regatta like the Dad Vail that values the viewer experience by investing in coverage and making the stream accessible to anyone in the world without roadblocks. In that vein, we will again broadcast the best races of the day on NBC Sports Philadelphia for everyone in the region to watch throughout the summer. We can’t wait for the first flag to drop in May.”

This year, there will be three elevated camera positions at the 500-meter mark, Cooper River Boathouse, 1500 Meters in and the Finish Line as well as one ground level camera at the awards dock. Additionally, a launch camera for Saturday’s finals will follow the races from the start. and there will be a medal dock camera which will allow viewers to watch the winners receive their medals. Similar to previous years,  two drones will alternate between races to ensure there is uninterrupted coverage.

Accomplished rower Megan Kalmoe along with Joe Leonard, a local Philadelphia rower and Whitney Powell from Long Beach, CA will be the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta announcers.

The 87th Annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be staged on the Cooper River, in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.