WINTER PARK, Fla. (March 7, 2026) – The Rollins men's rowing team battled challenging conditions at the Rollins Invitational on Lake Maitland, bringing home one gold medal in their final home regatta of the season.
The Men's Novice 4+ (line-up) delivered the victory, posting a strong time of 7:44.1 despite difficult racing conditions that included a 10 mph crosswind. This marks the second straight win for the crew, who also captured gold at last week's TARS Regatta. The Novice 4 got off the line quickly and steadily extended their lead throughout the race. Not only did the crew row a strong and consistent race from start to finish, they were the only boat in the event able to manage the crosswind without catching their oars in the water, showcasing both composure and technique in the challenging conditions.
The winning Novice 4+ lineup:
Rollins also turned in a number of strong finishes across the remaining events. The Tars placed second behind Embry-Riddle and ahead of the University of Florida in four of the five additional races they entered.
The Varsity 8 faced a tougher outing after building momentum from a strong performance against Jacksonville the previous week. The crew entered the regatta eager to see how they stacked up against Embry-Riddle.
"The men had one of their best weeks of practice as a team leading into the race, and the eight wasn't quite able to carry that momentum through the regatta," said head coach Pistor. "The boat didn't row poorly this weekend; there was just something a little off. I'd much rather have this happen now since it's still so early in the season. We're on the right track and will continue to build."
The Invitational concludes Rollins' home racing schedule for the season, as the Tars will now spend the remainder of the spring competing on the road.
Next up, Rollins travels to DeLand for the Stetson Showdown, where the Tars will face Wesleyan and Stetson, while also getting another opportunity to race Jacksonville and Embry-Riddle after meeting both programs over the past two weeks. The team looks forward to safe travels, competitive racing, and continuing to represent Rollins with the respect and humility that define the program.
