Hamilton College finished in fifth place out of seven boats in the 2022 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Division III Men's National Championship Regatta on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., on Saturday morning.

The IRA national championship regatta is the oldest college rowing championship in the U.S., but this year it includes a Division III championship for the first time. The Continentals posted a time of 5:59.225 on the 2,000-meter course.

"This is a big step forward for the program," Head Coach James Lister said. "We are already looking forward to what we can do to build on this year's success."

Hamilton ended up about 12 seconds behind national champion Williams College. The Continentals were in fifth place at the 500- and 1,500-meter marks and sixth at the halfway point. Hamilton's opening 500 meters was its fastest of the race with a split time of 1:27.83.

"The boat rowed a complete race," Lister said. "Going the fastest time of the year and reaching one of our outcome goals of being under the six-minute mark." 

Williams took the gold medal in 5:47.239 and Tufts University was runner-up with a time of 5:50.571. Trinity College (5:51.075) and Bates College (5:57.163) filled in the next two places. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (6:05.007) landed in sixth place and Washington College was seventh in 6:07.895.

"The inaugural race was a special event for Division III rowing," Lister said. "It will elevate more programs to work towards competing at this level. Congrats to all the competitors, especially to Williams the champions."
 
Hamilton is ranked sixth in the most recent IRA Division III Varsity 8 Top 15 poll and fifth in the final Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division III Varsity 8+ Top 15 poll of 2022. All seven teams that raced this weekend were ranked in the top eight in both polls.

LINEUP
 
Varsity 8
Tyler Krasusky '24 (cox)
Nick Wilkins '22
Henryk Kania '25
Ian Vogelsang '25
Philip Gow '22
John Myles '24
Ethan Tse '22
John Burt '22
Connor Grand '25