Brown men’s crew is preparing to start its 2026 spring season later this month, following a winter of practice and preparation. The team finished fifth in the Varsity Eight at both the Eastern Sprints and the IRA National Championship during the previous year.
The upcoming season is important as it provides opportunities for Brown to compete against some of the top rowing programs in the country. Team members and coaches say they are ready to represent Brown on national stages, starting with races scheduled at Nathan Benderson Park in Florida.
Paul Cooke, Norman W. Alpert ’80 Head Coaching Chair for Men’s Crew, said, “This team has worked hard through the winter months. The leadership has been strong throughout the squad. As a group, the training gains have been remarkable, and the improvements have been inspiring. Our seniors have really led the way and shown what it means to be committed.” Cooke also said that competition for spots in this year’s Varsity Eight has been intense during recent practices against Ivy League rivals.
Cooke expressed gratitude toward his coaching staff: “I’m grateful for the work our coaching staff has put in. The investment by Rufus Biggs and Nick Peterson in the formation of the team has been outstanding. Their attention to detail has helped build a high standard of focus and execution in practice.”
In fall competition at October’s Head of the Charles regatta, Brown’s Club Eights “A” boat finished second while its “B” boat took fifth place. Additional crews placed tenth in Championship Eights and sixth in Championship Fours over two days of racing.
The spring schedule begins March 27-28 at Sarasota’s Nathan Benderson Park against Harvard, Yale, Washington, Stanford, and Northeastern. Later races include an April trip to New Jersey for Princeton Invitational (April 10-11), a home race versus Dartmouth (April 18), a May contest with Princeton (May 2), Eastern Sprints (May 17), and concludes with IRA National Championships from May 29-31.
The Bears’ roster features 47 athletes: twelve each from freshmen through juniors classes plus eleven seniors. Most Varsity Eight rowers return from last year including seniors Davis Kelly—an Empacher-IRCA All-American Honorable Mention—David Person, Tom Griffin—a Second Team Empacher-IRCA All-American—and ten Empacher-IRCA Scholar Athletes recognized last season.
Freshman Luca Cassina joins after helping Italy’s Eight finish sixth at last year’s Under-23 World Championships; he raced seventh seat with Brown’s V8 at Head of Charles regatta.
