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WRowing_Preview_Team
Credit: Zach Sheldon

The sun is out and spring has begun, so that can only mean one thing: rowing is back.

Penn lightweight rowing will open its spring season this weekend in Boston, with women’s rowing participating in its second meet of the spring at the Doc Hosea Invitational. Both squads will look to forge a solid start to the season while competing against tough competition.

The men’s lightweight team faces off against both MIT and Delaware in a tri-meet on Saturday. Delaware, who earned a weekend sweep in its season opener, are currently ranked at No. 6 and will serve as an early test for the Quakers.

Penn is coming off a second-place finish at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship Regatta last season, the team’s best finish since 1992. Additionally, the Red and Blue had a very strong fall season, winning first in the Princeton Chase Races back in October, and will look to set themselves up for another run at the title come the end of the season. For now, though, the focus will be on Delaware and MIT.

The women’s team will be travelling a much shorter distance, and for an important reason, too. They’re participating in the Doc Hosea Invitational, an annual competition in honor of Dr. Tim Hosea, who won 12 world rowing championships as the physician for the national rowing team. Following his death in 2015, the invitational was created to honor Hosea for his immense contributions to the sport.

The team opened their season in a meet on the Schuylkill river against Delaware and Philadelphia rival Saint Joseph's last weekend. They’ll like to continue building a strong start to the season in the invitational this weekend.

Now that spring is here and rowing season is finally getting going, expect to keep seeing tough competition and dedication from the Penn rowing teams.