The Tufts women’s rowing team powered its way to a third straight victory in the Collegiate Eights event at the Head of the Charles Regatta on Sunday, October 19.

Entering the race as the two-time defending champions, the Jumbo first varsity earned the right to be the first team to start in the 37-team women’s Collegiate Eights race, and never looked back. Adding to the strong performance, the Jumbo second varsity was third overall and the Tufts third varsity had the 11th best time.

Tufts’ first team finished with a 16:49.117 time, the only sub-17-minute time in the event. Second-place Williams College’s A team finished in 17:04.527. Conditions always vary, but 2025’s winning time by the Jumbos was their fastest of their three Head of the Charles victories (17:02.698 in 2024, 18:03.969 in 2023).

The Jumbo 1V8 was the runner-up behind only Division I College of the Holy Cross out of 42 teams in the Collegiate Eights event. Tufts’ time of 14:38.707 was first among Division III teams.

The only team with three entries in the race, the Jumbos placed all three teams in the top 20 overall. Tufts’ second varsity was 11th in the Collegiate Eights event with a 15:01.436 mark, and the Jumbo 3V8 placed 18th with a 15:14.826 finish.

The prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta has been held since 1965, making this year’s event the 60th in its history. The regatta is recognized as the world’s largest three-day rowing event, attracting thousands of athletes and spectators each year.
 

Jiang and Lyle have been on each of the three Head of the Charles Regatta Collegiate Eights title teams at Tufts. Barr, Haynes, Monroe, and Tinkjian have won two regatta Collegiate Eights championships each.

The Jumbo second varsity came out of the ninth starting spot to record the third-best time of 17:12.678. They were ahead of the A teams from NESCAC rivals Trinity College (17:14.988, 4th place) and Wesleyan University (17:29.893, 7th place) among others.

The second varsity boat for Tufts had Erica Wayland, Katherine Tombaugh, Saskia Petitt, Caroline Schelter, Sonia Haynes, Celia Carson, Lecia Sun, Sonja Wartman, and coxswain Mackenna Billington.

Equally impressively, the Tufts third varsity came out of the 37th and last starting spot to place 11th overall with a 17:44.142 mark. They were just behind the A teams from conference foes Middlebury College and Bates College.

Tufts’ 3V boating was Jacqueline Mulle, Sophie Cumming, Ava Chan, Julia Zipoli, Sheelyn Pharr, Hudson Saunders, Ava Elliot, Sanjana Rao, and coxswain Ava Nguyen.

All three men’s Collegiate Eights teams made strong moves in the second half of the race, particularly the first varsity. They were 11th at the first checkpoint and eighth at the second, before moving up to second-place at the third checkpoint and finishing there. The 2V8 was 18th at the second checkpoint before a strong finish for 11th. Like the 2V8, Tufts’ third boat moved up five places in the final stretch of the race.

Tufts’ first varsity lineup featured Vincent Mezzanotte, Maxwell Rosenberger, Peter Conard, Peter McLaughlin, Mark Machle, Max Nusbaum, Xander Mesires, Theo Balavoine, and coxswain Aidan Keusch.

For the 2V8, Tufts raced with Seamas Ruiseal, Peter McCormick, Harrison Sweet, Lev Tolkoff, Ethan Seidner, Miles Smith, Owen McKendry, Alex Flynn, and coxswain Lexi Acosta.

The Tufts third varsity squad started Logan Raymond, Whit Smyers, Oliver Sjoholm, Alexander Matthews, Parker Mace, Ben Sackrey, Fritz Oldenburg, Mason Sibley, and coxswain Nina Suhrbier.

The regatta is the end of Tufts’ fall schedule. Crew teams will return to action in March.