The Colgate Men's Rowing Team entered the fall 2021 season of competition with high expectations. The outcome was a success, with rowers meeting their potential. 

Strong performances against elite competition at the Head of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and then the Princeton Chase in Princeton, N.J. left the Raiders feeling good and eager for a spring full of rowing.

But it's the outcome of the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Mass. that caught the team by surprise.

A Colgate boat of lightweight rowers was added to the race to go along with the team's priority lineup crew, the heavyweight 8+ and the collegiate 4+. 

The intent was to give the lightweight 4+ an opportunity to compete and gain valuable experience. They were expected to beat a few boats at best.

They did better than that: they finished No. 3 out of 13, behind only Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, and ahead of other Ivy League schools with boats full of top talent. 

It was the first time they placed that high since their first-place finish at the Charles in 2006. 

Assistant Men's Rowing Coach Anthony Chacon said the third-place finish was a surprise. 

"We knew we had some talent," he said. "We knew the guys were hard-working. We didn't expect to be on the same level as the Ivy Leagues." 

Unlike some of their other competitors, Colgate is a non-scholarship, non-slotted program that sells the University and the successes of the rowing team when recruiting for student-athletes. The squad made it to the IRA National Championship during the last two seasons. They finished No. 17 last spring. It was the highest finish in heavyweight 8+ in Colgate rowing history. 

"We try to sell the team," Chacon said. "We try to sell the University. We try to sell the culture, but ultimately they get in based on their academics only. Many wanted to go to the Ivies and here they are fulfilling their dreams on the Colgate rowing team."

Colgate's heavyweight 8+ was unable to complete the Charles because of boat damage. But they rebounded the following week by placing second at the Head of the Fish Regatta. 

Then came the Princeton Chase, where 40 boats competed. Colgate came in at No. 10 in the heavyweight 8+ while a quad boat finished in second. Both performances were the best ever for Colgate at the Princeton Chase. It was the first time in 18 years the University competed in the race. 

The strong outcomes in each race gave the team a huge boost. 

"The teams ahead of us were some of the fastest in the country," said Riley Rice '24. "To be able to finish the season with a pretty good showing meant a lot for everybody and keeps us hungry as we go through the winter."

Head Men's Rowing Coach Khaled Sanad said he was pleased with his team's historic finish at the Princeton Chase. 

"We have a strong group of dedicated guys and we are really looking forward to indoor training to get us ready for the spring," he said.

After a 15-month pause in racing created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team responded with consecutive trips to the nationals.

They continued a new culture with high expectations and a bond among players that has impressed their coaches. The rowers train together and live together, which is not a requirement. Every member becomes part of a larger family when they join the rowing program.

Now with the addition of talented first-year students, Colgate is excited about the possibilities of the spring season.

"When you combine our success with the academics and reputation of Colgate, what we're seeing is a lot of people who are attracted to the Ivies, but they are seeing us as an alternative, where they can get the same level of education, but also be competitive in rowing," Chacon said.