BOSTON, Mass. – This year's Head of the Charles Regatta saw many exciting aspects of the race, including 9,000 competitors, Olympians in many different events, and unseasonably warm weather. Mercyhurst, who sent nine men to compete at the 48th iteration of the country's largest two-day regatta, came away with a 12th place finish out of 37 crews.

The three-time Dad Vail Lightweight Eight champions competed in Sunday's Collegiate Eight event against perennial heavyweight crews from across the country, including entries from the University of Virginia, the University of Michigan, and Grand Valley State University. The crew of Jeffrey Thiede (senior), Jake Schuppe (senior), Xavier Alexander (junior), Milos Veres (freshman), Ivan Palikuca (senior), Jeff Murt (senior), David Cullmer (senior), Marcin Osajda (senior), and Amel Younis (sophomore) finished the three-mile course in 16:17, just one second behind 11th place Trinity College.

“The warm weather was brought in with windy conditions, and the guys seemed to manage themselves well in the head-wind,” said Mercyhurst head coach, Adrian Spracklen.  “We stacked up well against the heavyweight competition, but we've still got a lot of work to do over the winter months in order to achieve our goals for the spring.”

Mercyhurst's men (and women) will take the water again in April as they compete in the Knecht Cup in Camden, New Jersey.