Men and Women’s Sprints and NIT Championships All Canceled
BY ED MORAN
PHOTO BY SPORTGRAPHICS
While the country is inching towards some degree of a return to normalcy and with dual-format racing taking place across the country, there was still not sufficient time to ensure there would be enough entries to fill the men’s and women’s Eastern Sprints or the National Invitational Rowing Championships and all three have been canceled.
All three races normally take place in May on Lake Quinsigamond, in Worcester, Mass., and are key regattas for collegiate rowing programs on the East Coast, and for Ivy League schools, many of which are facing travel restrictions or outright cancellations of spring championship participation.
The Ivy League announced Feb. 19 that it would not participate in spring conference championships.
In making the announcement, Intercollegiate Rowing Association Commissioner Gary Caldwell said, “The effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continue to be felt. While it’s encouraging that a significant number of schools are making plans for limited dual racing opportunities in the Northeast, we are a long way from normalcy. Our ability to conduct spring championships in Worcester is contingent on a robust roster of schools, and we just aren’t there right now.
“We just don’t have enough perspective entries for any one of those three regattas to make the financials work. We’re extremely disappointed to have to cancel our Worcester series for the second year in a row and are looking forward to a resumption of some form of normalcy in 2022.”
Asked about the IRA taking place in West Windsor, N.J., May 28-30, Caldwell said he will be presenting the IRA stewards a full proposal when they meet Wednesday.
“We have a full proposal and set of Covid mitigation protocols to show them at the meeting on Wednesday and we are looking for a final decision from them by a week from Wednesday.”
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