On Saturday, the Villanova rowing team competed at the Navy Day Regatta in Philadelphia, culminating a week of intense fall training. The crews placed first and sixth in the eights race and first, sixth and 11th in the four boat, where they outperformed Big East rivals Georgetown and Rutgers, as well as local competition from St. Joe’s, Temple and UPenn.

“The foundation and passion on the squad this year is incredible,” senior Christina Baumgardner said. Only losing two seniors from last year’s varsity boat, who placed second at ECAC and the Dad Vail Championship in the spring, the team is positioned for a highly successful year.

This weekend, the women’s varsity eight, lightweight four, and the men’s club four are traveling to Boston to compete in the Head of the Charles. It is the autumn’s premier regatta that hosts over 600 crews, making it the largest two-day rowing event in the world. Because of Villanova rowing’s performance last year, the women’s eight boat is ranked number one in the collegiate eight-plus category consisting of 48 crews. All crews are set to race on the Charles River, where they will be timed against the other teams in hope to capture the coveted Head of The Charles crown.