Stanford University’s men’s rowing team placed fifth among six top-10 teams at the Sarasota 2K, held at Nathan Benderson Park on March 28. The two-day event featured strong competition, with Stanford racing against No. 1 Washington, No. 3 Harvard, No. 6 Brown, No. 7 Northeastern and No. 10 Yale for the Benderson Cup.
The regatta brought together some of the nation’s leading collegiate crews, making it a significant test for all participating teams. For Stanford, the meet was an opportunity to measure progress against elite opponents early in the season.
In Saturday’s races, Stanford’s first varsity eight (1V8) finished fourth with a time of 5:53.37—less than a second behind Brown for third place (5:52.51). The Cardinal’s second and third varsity eights (2V8 and 3V8) both secured fifth-place finishes ahead of Yale in their respective events.
Stanford came close to overtaking Northeastern in the overall standings but finished just one point behind with a total of fifteen points compared to Northeastern’s sixteen. Washington topped the field to win the Benderson Cup after tying with Harvard on points but winning based on its varsity eight finish.
Friday’s double-dual regatta saw Stanford compete against Washington and Harvard, placing third in each race category (1V8, 2V8 and 3V8). Washington earned the Andrea and Everett Peter Paup Cup as part of its annual rivalry with Stanford.
Looking ahead, Stanford will return home next weekend to host Oregon State and Wisconsin at Redwood Shores Lagoon on April 4.
