SMU Rowing finished the first day of competition at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship on May 15 with a range of placements, including one fourth-place finish, two fifth places, and two sixth places at Lake Wheeler Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The event is significant for SMU as it provides an opportunity to compete against top collegiate rowing programs and measure progress during the championship season.
The Mustangs began their races with the third varsity eight (3v8), finishing sixth with a time of 7:11.590. In the first varsity eight (1v8) race, SMU secured fifth place by crossing the line in 6:23.770—12.12 seconds ahead of Boston College—and narrowly missed out on a top-three spot by just over four seconds.
SMU’s best performance came in the second varsity eight (2v8), where they placed fourth, finishing nearly six seconds ahead of Clemson and more than seventeen seconds ahead of Boston College. The team also competed in the first varsity four (1v4), ending up sixth with a time of 7:26.100. In their final race for the day—the second varsity four (2v4)—the Mustangs took fifth place at 7:31.780, almost nineteen seconds ahead of Boston College.
Looking forward, SMU will return to compete in five petite finals on Saturday as part of their continued participation in this year’s ACC Championship.
