Last Sunday marked the final day of fall competition for women’s crew as the 1v, 2v, and 3v boats raced in the collegiate division of the Head of the Charles. The 1v and 3v competed in the eights race while the 2v competed in the fours race.
The 1v finished in second place out of 37 in the collegiate eights event with a time of 17:04.527, earning their second consecutive medal and an automatic qualification for next year’s regatta. Last year, the boat placed third out of 34 boats with a time of 17:14.585. The 3v finished in 28th, completing the course with a time of 18:37.921.
The 2v competed in the fours race, placing sixth out of 40 with a time of 19:33.674, an improvement from last year’s 20th-place finish. This placement earned them an automatic qualification to the regatta next year as well.
The Head of the Charles is one of the biggest events for the rowing community, explained co-captain Audrey Riddle ’26. “It’s [one of] the biggest regattas in the world,” she said. “When we’re warming up, and throughout the whole race, the bridges are filled with people. Everyone’s screaming. ”
The competition includes teams from across the world, including Australia and France, according to 1v rower Vivian Johnson ’27.
The massive turnout gives the weekend a feeling of both competition and homecoming, Riddle said. “Our coach called it the ‘Thanksgiving of rowing,’” she said. “And that totally captures it. Everyone’s there, your high school team [is there], it’s the biggest reunion in our sport.”
It’s not just other rowing teams that show up. “It feels like you’re in this rowing village,” Johnson said. “Everybody knows that it’s going on, and all of Boston seems to be oriented towards the Charles [River]… It feels like a day of appreciation of the sport and [a time] when it’s really brought to the forefront.”
The Ephs were pleased with their performance. “Overall, as a team, we are really satisfied by how we did, and we feel like that was definitely the peak of our [fall season],” Johnson said.
Their improvements highlight the depth of the team, including a strong first-year class. “Our freshman class is super fast,” Johnson said. “Out of six freshmen, four were in the 1v or 2v.”
The Head of the Charles can also be challenging for the coxswain to navigate, as it incorporates a variety of sharp turns and narrow bridges. “There’s a lot of different bridges you have to navigate in turns, which is different from a typical sprint race where it’s just full steam ahead,” 2v rower Caroline Ripsteen ’29 said.
The Ephs praised their coxswains for skillfully navigating the complex course. “My friend [at Bates] was watching, and she was like, ‘Everyone’s taking their line so wide,’ and then our 3v came through and she was like, ‘Whoa, that girl [Ayanna Keshav ’28] really hit the turn,” Ripsteen said.
The Ephs also highlighted Katie Scott ’26, coxswain of the 1v, who guided the boat through sharp turns while maintaining a very direct line. “She rocked it,” Riddle said.
The 2v also benefited from masterful steering. “[Ariana Oppenheimer ’26] and our boat killed it on the line,” Ripsteen added.
The Head of the Charles concludes the Ephs’ fall season. Looking ahead, the team is eager to carry their success into championship season in the spring. “Having done better than last year at this event, we want to keep that momentum going for our main competitive season,” Johnson said.
