CLERMONT, Fla. (April 5, 2026) – The Rollins men's rowing team added a late opportunity to race at the DII Invite this weekend, competing in exhibition fours against Vanderbilt in a series of tightly contested races.
"This was a great opportunity for us," said head coach Pistor. "Any racing is good, and racing in fours allowed us to split the men's eight and see what they could do."
Friday's racing featured heavy wind and waves, creating difficult conditions on the course. One of Rollins' fours stayed within striking distance throughout the race, finishing just three seconds behind Vanderbilt after trailing off the start.
Saturday's schedule was adjusted to take advantage of early morning flat water, giving crews significantly improved racing conditions.
In the first race of the day, Rollins again finished just three seconds behind Vanderbilt, after leading through the opening 1,000 meters before being edged in the second half of the race.
The Tars' second four rebounded in the final race of the weekend after struggling earlier, setting up one of the closest contests of the day. Both Rollins boats lined up on either side of Vanderbilt and raced nearly even down the course.
In the end, Vanderbilt narrowly held on, finishing two seconds ahead of Rollins' A boat and four seconds ahead of the B boat.
While the results were tight losses, the racing provided valuable experience as the Tars continue to develop speed and lineup depth.
Rollins will now turn its focus to the SIRA Championships in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (April 18–19), where the Tars will compete against a wide range of Division I, II, and top club programs.
